Corso Italia 13

A luminous design enhances a twentieth-century architectural icon. The restyling project on part of Luigi Moretti's complex enhances and highlights a bold architecture that, in the 1950s, had an impact on an entire block of Milan. The complex consists of several buildings, of which two were the object of redevelopment.

Studying Moretti's historical archive was crucial to understanding the project's genesis and evolution over the years. The project drawings revealed how the tallest building, called La Nave (The Ship), was built following Moretti's original design to the letter, while the design of the lower one was the object of several reappraisals.

Complying with and respectful of the original intervention, Park Associati's project aims to enhance what for the city has become an iconic building. The name Nave (Ship) comes from the fact that, in the elegant layout of the two buildings overlooking Corso Italia, the higher one leaning on the lower one resembles the bow of a ship breaking through space towards the street. This perception is further emphasised by the light-coloured façade covered with white marble mosaic tiles.

The restyling focused on the communal areas and on some of the floors for office use. Thanks to a delicate design idea that emphasises the original forms, the façade was completely preserved. In the dark, the discreet but effective lighting intervention highlights the horizontal string courses, thus emphasising the building's character and creating a 'floating' effect of the structure over the underlying base.

The lower body of the complex was renovated following Moretti’s first original drawings. The horizontal string courses were thus emphasised while on the first and second floors the windows' layout was accentuated by box-shaped slats made of micro-perforated aluminium. In the dark, their presence is highlighted by the slats' internal lighting.

All the office spaces were redesigned through interventions on systems, lighting and air conditioning focusing on transparency and the search for quality space, thus making them more open and flexible.

The design originally developed by Luigi Moretti for this building sought to create a multifunctional complex in the centre of Milan. The project, located on Corso Italia and flanked by Via Rugabella and Via Sant’Eufemia, consists of four buildings, all of which have different heights and positions. The triangular shape of the plot had a significant influence on the choices of the architect who designed the volumes according to their exposure to the sun. The high quality of the end result was achieved through the use of materials that were cutting edge for the time, as well as curtain walls and mobile internal partitions that make the interiors extremely versatile.

The restyling project carried out by Park Associati on part of the Luigi Moretti complex philologically accentuates and enhances this bold architecture that in the 1950s covered an entire block in Milan.

The two different parts of the complex that have been regenerated in this project are the highest building called “La Nave” (The Ship) and the lowest one on which “La Nave” rests. Research into the original drawings of the complex kept in the Moretti archives showed how the highest building was built precisely to Moretti’s original plans whereas the design of the base was changed various types.

Park Associati’s extremely respectful project, therefore, followed the original plan closely with the aim of drawing attention to such an iconic building for the city. The name “La Nave” was given on account of the refined interplay of volumes between the two blocks on Corso Italia, as the highest one rests on the lower one, so it looks like the prow of a ship that is about to set sail into the street in front of it. This sensation is accentuated by the light colour of the façade that is covered by a mosaic of white marble tesserae. The façade has been completely preserved with a delicate design that highlights these original forms. In the evening, thanks to a discreet but effective lighting project featuring Underscore inOut luminaires that underline the horizontal stringcourses and emphasize the character of the building, creating an effect that makes the volume resting on the base look as though it is “floating”.

The base block in the complex has also been renovated in line with Moretti’s original drawings. The horizontal stringcourses are underlined whereas the pattern of the windows on the first and second floor is accentuated by box-shaped light blades in micro-perforated aluminium. Their presence is highlighted at night by the internal lighting the light blades are fitted with. To obtain this effect, iGuzzini developed and manufactured special custom projectors.