Norwegian architecture studio Snøhetta has partnered with Italian firm Park to complete a major renovation of the Pirelli 35 office building in Milan, transforming the 1960s structure into a more publicly accessible and sustainable workspace. The project, located in Milan's Porta Nuova district adjacent to the Biblioteca degli Alberi Milano (BAM) park, represents what the architects call an example of sustainable urban regeneration.
The original Pirelli 35 building was completed in 1964 according to designs by Italian architect Melchiorre Bega. To minimize the project's carbon footprint, Snøhetta and Park retained most of the existing structure while making strategic interventions. The most significant change involved removing a central wing of the building, which opened up space for a new curved outdoor public area with landscaped plantings.
The architectural transformation includes a ground-floor level featuring curving glazed facades that wrap around the newly created outdoor space. A bridged element spans overhead, connecting the original Pirelli 35 structure with a new office building. The architects also added two additional floor levels to the building, creating accessible rooftop spaces that serve as outdoor meeting areas with panoramic views across Milan.
"We are delighted with the forward-leaning possibilities of creating a building that is given back to the public of Milan," said Snøhetta co-founder Kjetil Trædal Thorsen. "This is very much in accordance with how Snøhetta has been thinking since its very inception, understanding that desegregation of cities, making building indoors accessible for the larger public, creating public ownership of these buildings, and increasing the accessibility for the public. Pirelli 35 is a good example of how regenerative architecture should look in European cities such as Milan."
The building's facade design incorporates both aesthetic and functional considerations. While floor-to-ceiling glazing defines the ground floor facades, the upper levels feature different materials on each side. One side of the office facades was clad in a concrete-effect finish, while the other side was covered with terracotta-colored aluminum to complement the nearby residential buildings. The architects strategically placed the facades behind the existing column structure to provide shade and reduce solar heat gain in the interior spaces.
Snøhetta lead project architect Tommaso Maserati explained the design philosophy behind the varied facade treatment: "This building presents a captivating multiplicity of facets, and as you walk around the perimeter and through the courtyard, you feel the sensation of experiencing several different buildings simultaneously. A key factor behind this architectural dialogue is the study behind each facade, crafted to respond to the unique characteristics of its surrounding environment."
Maserati emphasized the building's contextual approach, stating: "What emerges is not an imposing monument demanding attention, but rather a thoughtful composition that weaves itself into the existing urban fabric with quiet and elegant confidence. The building breathes with its context rather than competing against it, creating a dialogue between old and new that enriches the neighborhood's architectural narrative."
The Pirelli 35 renovation is part of Snøhetta's broader portfolio of urban regeneration projects. The studio recently completed other significant works including a trio of stepped buildings in Belgium designed to reconnect parts of a city, and a sloping community center in Sweden featuring a walkable roof. The project photography was captured by Barbara Rossi, documenting the transformation of this mid-century office building into a contemporary example of sustainable architecture that prioritizes public access and environmental responsibility.
