DEGW has designed the interiors for the new headquarters of Microsoft Italia, which will open in February 2017, inside the iconic but clean-cut and simple building designed by Herzog & De Meuron. DEGW's design reflects the company's values: openness, visibility, flexibility, energy, dynamism and innovation.
In order to create a harmonious balance between the interiors and the architecture, DEGW started from the original building project, which is based around the concept of a Gothic-style Lombard building lot: long and narrow with a glazed pitched roof where the triple-height top floor is located. The building is located near historical Porta Tenaglia, bordering between the old city and the new Garibaldi Business District, along the line of the old Spanish walls. The simple, innovative and friendly concept that DEGW has incorporated in the project location derives from a combination of the city's historical legacy and the technological innovation associated with Microsoft.
The open-space work plan does not feature any dedicated work stations, everybody moves through the spaces according to the business operations they are working on. The meeting rooms and relaxation areas are aimed at encouraging interaction and communication between both work teams and individual workers.
Wooden structural features incorporated in the space are reminiscent of terraces and the kind of outside settings typical of Italy, where the external garden environment actually penetrates into inside space. Natural features like plants and flower beds are incorporated in the ground-floor entrance. The non-assigned open-space workstations on the various operating floors differ from each other in terms of layout and aesthetics in accordance with function. Certain areas are more communicative and others more private to create a workspace that is not monotonous and encourages creativity.
