The New Gucci Hub Opens in Milan

Over the course of the Milan fashion week, which just ended, Gucci certainly made a name for itself in many ways but most definitely for the inauguration of its new headquarters in Milan, after more than three years from the project’s start, 35 thousand square meters inside the former Caproni aeronautical factory, on via Mecenate, built in 1915 in one of the city’s historic areas. The new office, re-baptized “Gucci Hub,” is the result of the meticulous restoration of the original structure built by Piuarch, the famous Milan-based architecture firm, and brings together all the brand’s Milan offices, showrooms, the runway space, and the design and photo studios, all under one roof that will host more than 250 people. The headquarters joins the Florence location, the craftsmanship offices, and that of Rome, home of the style department.

“The concept and the design of our new Milan location,” explained Marco Bizzarri, president and CEO of the brand which is owned by Kering , “symbolize ever aspect of the new chapter that Gucci opened at the start of last year. This highly contemporary space, rendered from within an historic building, will foster and nurture an open working environment that is at the core of a true learning organization. It will also become a place of cultural exchange, where we will present the collections every season.”

With these premises, the hub will be a veritable creative city, and this concept is clear even through the buildings aesthetic, in which the old brick façades mix with modern buildings. A dialogue between the past and the future, in true Gucci spirit. Even the interiors reflect this vision, with theater seating, old bar countertops, vintage screens, and made to measure tables.

The first step of renovation of the former aeronautical factory was the reconfiguration of spaces that were once meant for production, with openings on the outside that naturally let light in. Brick façades on the two sides with the main road that connects all the buildings and functions, leading to the covered square. At the center of the complex stands a newly built six story tower with glass walls, which rests on an area of over 3,000 square meters. The volume and the shape of the tower, with its black and metal components, produces a strong contrast with the red brick walls of the historic buildings. The hangar, once used for the assembly of Caproni aircraft, was also recovered for a total area of 3,850 square meters, 2 thousand of which destined to host runway shows starting in 2017. Furthermore, an ample underground parking garage was built, with a capacity of up to 300 cars.

The new Gucci headquarters in Milan is conceived as a 100% sustainable project: woods, a tree-lined square, gardens, green patios and walls, all in harmony with the historic language of the buildings, which, together with the Leed Gold certification, makes the quality of life and the workspace the focus.