Milan, Italy
Proposing a radical modernization of the interiors, CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati collaborated with Italo Rota (1953-2024) and Maestro Technologies to create a less confining environment with natural elements respecting all the original features of this building, conceived and constructed originally by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.
The building is considered one of Niemeyer’s masterpieces, and it hosts the headquarters of the Mondadori Group, a leading Italian book publisher.
The design by CRA honors the original design while introducing innovative strategies for the future of the workplace.
The first step of the project deals with more than 20,000 square meters, with a wider renovation program of Niemeyer’s main European landmark set to follow.
CRA- Carlo Ratti Associati has refurbished over 1300 units of the building’s original modular furnishings.
This classic post-war furniture has been carefully dismantled and reassembled, integrating wood and creating additional reconfigurable modules.
These interventions include incorporating space for plants, and seamlessly weaving nature into the office environment.
“In order to get us out of the comfort of our pajama Zoom calls, office spaces need to become more like playgrounds,” says Carlo Ratti, founding partner of CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati.
“Forget the old cubicles, which obstruct innovation and encounters, as shown in French director Jacques Tati’s ‘Playtime’ movie. Exchanges in physical space are crucial, and benefit from a constantly reconfigurable environment.”
The space has been reimagined with desks that encourage informal encounters across all five floors of the building.
In addition, new transparent meeting rooms have been introduced to create a greater sense of continuity between spaces, allowing people to move while enjoying the surrounding natural environment.
The furniture layout has been designed to maximize natural light, accentuating the Palace’s beauty and cultivating a deeper harmony with the surrounding park.
The main structure boasts a unique design—a suspended glass box supported by parabolic arches, creating the illusion of a space floating in the air, emerging from an artificial lake designed by the landscape architect Pietro Porcinai.
Carlo Ratti is tasked with rethinking the office spaces within the building, which were cutting-edge for the 1970s, to bring them to the forefront and imbue them with innovation once again.
Project: Mondadori Office Playground
Architects: CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati, Italo Rota, and Maestro Technologies
Lead Architect: Italo Rota and Carlo Ratti
Design Team CRA: Francesco Strocchio, Chiara Leonzio, Marco Santini, Nicolette Marzovilla, Rodolfo Siccardi, Jelena Krco, Gary Di Silvio, Pasquale Milieri, and Gianluca Zimbardi
Design Team Maestro Technologies: Mykola Murashko, Sara Zamperion, and Eren Sezer
Photographers: Delfino Sisto Legnani and Melania Delle Grave, DSL Studio
