The east front of the Piazza San Babila in Milan is closed by a continuous curtain of buildings built in the 50s by Gio Ponti.
A united front with a high porch on the ground floor where you can find shops and banks, while the entrances to the buildings are located on the sides and in the gallery san Babila that divides the block in half. One of these lobbies, the 4|A has been the subject of our project.
Get your hands on a historic building certainly means respect their history, but also update it in our day, to our new needs, without upsetting nature. We just start to play with Gio Ponti, sixty years later. Old geometry and new materials, led light box and precious texture.
The walls are covered with mdf wood paneling milled design and lacquered, with profiles in brushed steel. The ceiling and the front wall are transformed into light boxes. In front of the waiting room a round mirror that hides a screen for internal service communications.
The door is completely transparent to have continuity between the gallery and the lobby of the building. Same finishes are shooting in the landings at various levels. The reception table is suspended, supported by the wall glass pannel. The bali armchairs by poliform and a big cactus complete the environment