Executive Headquarters of Banca Ifis
Just a short walk from Piazza del Popolo in the very heart of Rome and flanked by the river Tiber and Villa Borghese, this neo-renaissance building dating from the 1920s formed the subject of this intervention.
The project involved the renovation of the exterior and the interior with the intention of it becoming the new Executive Headquarters of Banca Ifis.
The studio was selected after winning a competition organized by the client and which regarded the preliminary concept.
The headquarters have been conceived not simply as a workplace, but also as a welcoming and almost domestic space where multifunctional lounge areas have been inserted, in addition to offices, to include a light-filled orangery, a professional kitchen, a room for convivial dining and an area for relaxation on the top floor terrace.
The conservative restoration of the exteriors concentrated on tidying the facades and substituting the windows, which become large casings that frame the beauty of the surrounding city. Spaces and details discovered during the restoration process also guided the design choices, taking up and emphasizing some of the original characteristics of the building, such as the vaulted ceiling in the reception area.
The sculptural, wood clad staircase leading to the upper floors is designed like a ribbon that winds upwards, while the wall lights realized in collaboration with Venini reproduce a design found in the historical archive that was reinterpreted and reproportioned by Lissoni.
Finishes of the highest quality were chosen, including marble for the walls as well as venetian terrazzo and polished wood parquet for the floors. Refined woodworking features strongly, as in the flooring and the many walls clad in elegant boiserie of classic inspiration reinterpreted in a contemporary key.
The furnishings are a blend of contemporary design and iconic vintage, while elegantly styled pieces and ethnic rugs bring together Europe and the East.
Much of the space is given over to art: specific settings, niches and structures were designed ad hoc from the outset with the aim of displaying works from the bank’s private collection.
Everything was integrated with a custom-made building automation system and advanced technology in order to obtain both LEED and WELL certification.
Design team:
Piero Lissoni with
Tania Zaneboni, Ilia D’Emilio, Anna Giunchi, Rachele Mambrini, David Pouliot, Roberto Berticelli, Andrea Piazzalunga
Render: Alessandro Massi Mauri, Alberto Massi Mauri, Alessandro Grasso
