HEARDQUARTERS LAVAZZA

The intervention consisted in the reconfiguration of the block of buildings between Via Bologna, Largo Brescia, Corso Palermo and Via Ancona, while the existing industrial architecture was preserved, thus delineating a quadrilateral with four main spaces:

1.  “la Nuvola” (Cloud) headquarters, covering 15.500 sqm.
2. the ‘Central’, 5,000 sqm of event space, hosting up to 1000 people
3. the Lavazza Museum
4. the Piazza-Giardino, a green oasis in the heart of la Nuvola

Outside the operating spaces constituted by the Cloud, there is the museum that guides visitors to discover the world of coffee, a large events space to host debates, congresses, art and museum events, a bistro for employees but also open to the city, a training environment with the Institute of Applied Art and Design (IAAD) for over 700 students. In the area encompassing these buildings is the Garden Square from which the remains of an ancient early Christian basilica can be admired.

The side of the Nuvola facing Piazzale Brescia has 7 floors above ground, while the body extends towards Via Ancona and the new square has 4 floors above ground. The ground floor communicates with the city through a large glass atrium that contains the public reception functions.

The desire to integrate nature as much as possible into the workspaces emerges from the design of the roofs partially covered by vegetation, the gardens that are inserted between the offices, the windows overlooking the new square, and the façades designed to make the most of natural light. The façade of the new headquarters, with high energy performance, is composed of a system with transparent parts and blind parts, the latter consisting of bronze-coloured metal panels and coloured screen-printed glass that help to screen the sunlight and create a striking chiaroscuro effect that changes during the hours of the day. Solar orientation, open spaces and existing buildings were taken into account in the design of these façade modules.