Calè Offices
Milan, in the heart of the Cinque Vie district, Domenico Farinaro, Stefania Micotti, and Franco Rosi Architetti have completed the new offices for Calè, a leading Italian company specializing in artistic perfumery.
Located in one of Milan’s oldest and most evocative areas, the offices occupy the ground and basement floors of a late 19th-century building. The entrance is on Via Santa Maria Podone, while the large windows overlook Via Santa Marta. The spaces form a kind of ideal “passage” between the two streets, characterized by high ceilings and architectural elements typical of the period, including a series of arches and granite columns.
The idea of the passage, understood as a suspended condition between interior and exterior, takes shape through a sequence of clearly identifiable spaces and functions that flow seamlessly and organically. The imposing masonry structures that separate and define the different areas are lightened and dematerialized by glass surfaces, circular openings, and new thick arches inspired by existing architectural and stylistic elements, generating not only physical but also perceptual permeability between functions.
The fluid, domestic quality of the spaces articulates and expresses the current hybrid and complex use of the workplace.
At the entrance, a coloured glass diaphragm acts as a filter toward the street and is inserted into the sculptural volume of the reception desk, where Roman breccia cladding—used on one of the pillars and on the countertop—interacts with satin-finished steel and glass, all connected by a slender and airy steel frame.
A mirrored silver curtain acts as a counterpoint to the reception volume, separating it from the entrance and enclosing a small meeting room.
Further inside, a large meeting room and a glazed passage overlooking a small patio connect the entrance to a relax area, also used for informal meetings. This space is marked by large windows set within the masonry arches, offering views toward the office areas along Via Santa Marta.
In the renovation project, the traditional concept of office space is overcome through the creation of a deliberately suspended, fluid, and eclectic environment, at times reminiscent of a contemporary art gallery. This is achieved in part through the design and selection of furniture and lighting fixtures with a sculptural character, which introduce a distinctly contemporary atmosphere while also drawing on references from the recent past.
The design moves between references to the 1930s and 1950s, the radical avant-garde design of the 1970s, and the postmodern language of the 1980s, with objects in vivid, high-impact colours.
This stylistic and chromatic journey is reinforced by the use of the same neutral tone—a warm, slightly pinkish white—for both the resin-coated floors and the walls on the ground floor.
The basement, accessed by two internal staircases, features brick walls and vaults that testify to the historical character of the building. These have been painted optical white and are enhanced by predominantly cool lighting.
The eclectic and iconic nature of the furnishings is emphasized by the neutral architectural envelopes in which they are placed. Reflective surfaces, used in some areas to clad furnishings, glass partitions, or walls, help dematerialize the volumes and create new and evocative viewpoints and perspectives.
The austerity of the volumes and the thickness of the historic walls stand in contrast to the lightness of the reflective surfaces, creating an unexpected dichotomy that tells the story of Calè: a combination of corporate tradition and solidity with the lightness and intangibility of carefully selected fragrances.
