In the heart of Milan’s fashion district, at Via della Spiga 26, stands a building with a storied past. It was once the site of Palazzo Pertusati, a sumptuous 18th-century residence destroyed in World War II and replaced in the 1950s by an austere building with none of its predecessor’s historical appeal.
Architect Alessandro Scandurra undertook an ambitious 10,000 square metre urban renewal project aimed at restoring the building’s identity and architectural merit. “We wanted to honour the neoclassical heritage of this corner of Milan and reestablish its historical narrative,” explains Scandurra. “Our aim was to transform the previously dull and introverted building into a vibrant, adaptable space that would engage with Milan’s bustling urban life,” said the architect, who has always been highly attentive to the historical context and the interaction between different periods.
The renovation added 18 new shop windows along the building’s 65-metre façade on Via della Spiga, now featuring a strikingly textural cladding solution that restores the aristocratic essence of the lost neoclassical villa. “We drew inspiration from the sculpted robes of the caryatids that once adorned the main façade,” reveals Scandurra. A series of vintage photographs discovered during his team’s research into the history of the building had inspired them to recreate the fabric effect on the new façade, he explains. This effect also pays tribute to the world of fashion and the remarkable craftsmanship and expertise of the renowned international fashion houses that have opened stores here. Facing directly onto Via della Spiga, the building accommodates the flagship stores of luxury brands such as Moschino, Sergio Rossi and Borsalino, while a more than 7,000 square metre space is occupied by the new headquarters of the French luxury group Kering (whose brands include Gucci, Saint Laurent and Bottega Veneta), which has chosen Milan as an important base for its strategic development.
The project’s sensitivity to its historical context is also evident in the large internal courtyard, where the original structure has been reimagined with staggered levels and wide terraces. “Just as with the façade, here too we aimed to create a powerful link with history. To achieve this, we custom designed an elegant ceramic floor tile for Cotto d’Este, choosing a herringbone design and subtle colours to reflect the building’s storied past,” explains the architect. Cotto d’Este supplied over 2,000 square metres of tiles for this flooring.
On the side of the building overlooking Via Senato (“where the former villa once offered a splendid view of the now-buried Cerchia dei Navigli, complete with a small waterfront garden”), the architect adopted a conservative yet creative approach that used materials and colours (bronze windows and lighter coloured elements) to refresh the building’s image and lighten its volume. New tree varieties were planted in the garden “to recreate the city’s historic system of greenery originally designed by Giuseppe Piermarini in the late 18th century, which began here and then extended along Via Marina as far as the Public Gardens of Porta Venezia,” concludes Scandurra.
