Casa Siemens in Milan

«The idea was to offer our employees and the citizens of Milan a kind of ‘Siemens City’ that would summarise our philosophy of community of the future, which consists not just of work but also sharing, integration, mutual exchange and protection of the environment.»
With these words, Siemens SpA’s Chairman Federico Golla summed up the mission of the German multinational which recently opened its new headquarters in Milan.
Designed by the architectural practice Barreca & La Varra, the building covers a surface area of more than 15,000 square metres and stands at the centre of a wider urban redevelopment plan extending across the entire Adriano neighbourhood in the city’s north-eastern suburbs. The project also includes the creation of a 25,000 sqm green area with relaxation spaces for employees, improvement of road accesses and the construction of a new sports facility.
The complex is LEED Gold certified, demonstrating the company’s commitment to the environment and sustainability, and will be the first major industrial hub with zero emissions by 2030. In keeping with this philosophy, the architects chose porcelain tiles from Cotto d’Este amongst the finishing materials for the Siemens headquarters. It is highly sustainable thanks to its use of smaller quantities of raw materials, its lower environmental impact throughout the production and transport cycle and its multiple application potential.
The lower sections of the exterior façade were clad with Kerlite5plus 5.5 mm thick laminate porcelain from the Cluny collection, chosen in the Auvergne Layè colour. Light, flat, flexible and versatile, the ultra-thin Kerlite ceramic panels are equipped with exclusive fibreglass reinforcement that makes them extremely tough and easy to use and install.
The outstanding surface aesthetics created using an innovative production process allowed the material to be used for the exterior pavements surrounding the perimeter of the building, where the same Auvergne Layè colour (in an extra-thick 14 mm version) serves to ensure a pleasantly consistent colour. In the interior, the ground floor is paved with the same high-thickness material (14 mm) but in the Sablé finish which stands out for its elegantly rough non-reflecting surface, recreating all the appeal of the Burgundy natural stone that inspired the collection.
Last but not least, the Silvis collection in the colour Robur and extra-large 14 mm thickness was chosen for the paving of the internal courtyard. Consisting of full-body coloured porcelain decorated using a high-definition inkjet system, the Silvis series combines exceptional technical and performance characteristics with a wood finish, reflecting the material’s beauty, warmth and natural appeal.