Unipol Group Headquarters

“Sensory” architecture The project for the new Unipol Group Headquarter is an example of “sensory” architecture. The dual-skin façade transforms the building into an environmentally responsive organism, much like a tree with an orderly network of branches interacting with the surrounding light and air. The tower background The form of the building, a 125-meter elliptical tower in the Porta Nuova quarter in the heart of Milan, was derived from careful analysis of the special characteristics of the physical context, the local climate, and sun exposure. The atrium as a bioclimatic device The entrance is marked by a large glass canopy folding upwards from the façade itself. Visitors are greeted by a large central atrium that extends all the way to the top of the building, with the various floors overlooking the light- and vegetation-filled space. Together with the rooftop greenhouse and the façade system itself, the atrium transforms the entire tower into a bioclimatic device. Beyond its role as an environmental buffer, the atrium lends itself to creating an inviting series of formal and informal reception and meeting spaces. Offices with thermal comfort and views The offices look onto Porta Nuova’s large city park on the north side of the building, in this way optimizing both thermal comfort and views. The vast atrium is located on the south-west side, toward the city center, where it enhances the environmental quality of the entire building by protecting the south façade from direct sun and by creating natural ventilation of the interior spaces through the “chimney effect”. The upper management offices and formal meeting spaces on the top floors look down over the city center through the rooftop gardens. The botanical greenhouse The tower culminates in a large botanical greenhouse with panoramic views and an area dedicated to hosting public meetings and cultural events. The BIM (Building Information Modeling) project The complexity and desired quality level of the building required the use of building information modeling, or BIM. The purpose was to create a single integrated building model in which the geometrical and numerical data deriving from the various disciplines involved in the creative process (structural engineering, building services, etc.) could be analyzed as a whole.