In the eastern part of Milan, between the future BEIC, Porta Vittoria and the former Macello area, the project is set within an urban context undergoing continuous transformation. The client returns to collaborate with the studio to expand their home by incorporating the adjoining apartment, transforming two independent units into a single residence capable of adapting to the evolving needs of family life.
The home takes shape from the union of two apartments which, once freed from their boundaries, begin to interact as a single organism. The separating wall is punctuated by a sequence of openings that turns the domestic journey into a continuous discovery. Rooms unfold through deep, transversal views, expanding the perception of space.
The kitchen opens onto the new dining room, positioned on axis as a backdrop to the living area, while the staircase becomes the distributive hub around which functions and circulation are organised. Upstairs, the children’s bedrooms are connected by a walk-through dressing room that introduces a playful dimension to domestic life. Above the living room lies the master suite, conceived as a “house within the house”, where the bathroom, dressing room and terrace unfold around the bed, creating an intimate and suspended atmosphere.
The project stems from a simple gesture: removing rather than adding. Walls give way to mobile elements inspired by the work of Gio Ponti, capable of adapting the rooms to different needs. Large folding doors and sliding panels in Vienna straw allow the space to be opened or closed, alternating between continuity and intimacy. In the master suite, a backlit glass partition dissolves the boundary between bedroom and bathroom, helping to create a soft and enveloping atmosphere.
The project is developed around a layered material language that conveys the passage of time through surfaces, textures and colours. At the points where the two apartments meet, contrasting flooring highlights and celebrates the process of transformation.
On the ground floor, Gavatex, natural woods, Vienna straw, shades of green and terrazzo create a balanced and tactile atmosphere. The upper floor introduces more intense tones, where shades of red, oak and marble shape spaces with a distinctive character. A palette of buttery tones unifies the entire home, ensuring continuity and coherence across the different spaces.
The home takes the form of a collection of references to Milanese design culture of the twentieth century, reinterpreted through a contemporary lens. Wallpaper inspired by an entrance designed by Portaluppi guides the eye along the main axis of the home, while the large folding partitions evoke the theme of transformability so central to Gio Ponti’s work.
Along the staircase, small octagonal openings recall the interiors of Caccia Dominioni, offering unexpected glimpses and perspectives. Furniture and objects also contribute to this narrative, referencing the work of Frattini, Magistretti, Mangiarotti, Cini Boeri and Albini.
The result is an unmistakably Milanese interior, far removed from any nostalgic exercise.
Two apartments, multiple references and a rich layering of materials converge into a single domestic narrative, where architecture, memory and transformation find a new harmony.
