Casa Siemens is the new office building of 15,500 square meters that the German multinational wanted in Via Vipiteno in Milan, with the aim of creating its headquarters in this area of ​​the city within an area of ​​86,000 m. It houses the management and the offices that were previously based in Bicocca.

The project as a whole and within the broader masterplan project, completely redesigns the area by organizing the volumes and the green according to a simple and linear principle, able to relate better with both the existing fabric and the projects in place around the intervention area. The “Construction Excellence Office Building” design guidelines dictated by the company were decisive in every phase of the project definition: the Barreca & La Varra studio contributed to their interpretation and declination, especially as regards the composition of the façade and the layout of the windows, with particular attention to the corner theme. The building consists of a single “E” shaped body arranged around two courtyards paved and enriched with plant elements, on which the collective services such as the auditorium, bar and restaurant overlook the ground floor. The remaining three floors house the open space offices, private offices and meeting rooms, from which it is possible to access the auditorium and canteen garden covers. The south face of the building is flat and linear, and overlooks a new boulevard with wide sidewalks and cycle paths that will bear the name of the founder of the German company. The northern front is instead more volumetrically articulated, and is the result of an interpretation of the guidelines aimed at making the spatial articulation of the areas around the building more dynamic. The building is surrounded on the inner north and east sides by green areas, both to guarantee the quality of the open spaces and to widen the distance between the new building and those existing on the Via Vipiteno. The conference center functions will be dedicated to four rooms built with movable walls that can be combined and modified according to the needs of the moment.The cafeteria, directly connected to the conference center, is equipped with rooms for guests and the consummation room of collaborators with free flow, which can be opened directly on the outdoor spaces, while in the west, accessible from via Ponte Nuovo, there will be space for some service areas such as employee changing rooms, washing and cooking, goods unloading area. The offices on the first, second and third floors were designed according to the “Siemens Office” smart working concept and are configured as large open spaces interrupted only by the lifts. In this layout the five staircases, two of which are main and equipped with a lift and elevator, help to divide the building on each floor into three macro areas that allow better space to be organized according to the different business areas of Siemens. In “Siemens House” the entrance is highlighted by a setback of the ground floor, so as to create a protected external place, and the lobby manages all the flows and all the internal paths with spaces dedicated to relaxation, information and reception . In front of the entrance to the building is one of the four sculptures designed by Daniel Libeskind that at the Milan Expo2015 marked the crossing between Cardo and Decumano, commissioned by Siemens. The project is efficient, since it minimizes the impact on the site by concentrating the construction to the maximum, takes advantage of the natural orientation of the site, incorporates active and passive energy-saving systems and has a simple structure that allows flexibility in the use of space over time. The building structures are entirely in reinforced concrete. The sizing and the design criteria are aimed at providing structural safety towards the actions foreseen by the current technical regulations, including the seismic action, the durability of the materials and the integration of the structures in the Architecture project. The floors have different heights depending on the function: the ground floor 5.06 m, the first floor, second and third 3.90 m, while the basement 3.50 m. The only exceptions are the canteen and conference, 5.70 m high.The facade was designed specifically for the control of summer solar radiation and winter dispersion. In particular, it is a system of alternately opaque (parapet and veil) and transparent (ribbon windows) horizontal bands: the ground floor alternates, on all the facades, blind panels in dark gray and transparent stoneware, aimed at generating a dialogue of the interior spaces with the surrounding open spaces intended for parking and greenery, and in general to reduce the amount of glass surfaces. On the upper floors the façade is ventilated, in lighter gray alucobond combined with parts in enamelled glass that embellish the building also by virtue of the play of reflections it puts into play. In some places, and generally near the corners of the building, the ribbon window widens and turns into a floor-to-ceiling window. All windows are equipped with a motorized lamellar curtain system connected to a solar radiation detection system that regulates the opening to protect the building.