Milan, Italy, 2007

This project is a mixed-use department store and apartment building in Milano Santa Giulia, a recently developed area containing approximately 1.2 million square meters of newly-built space developed by Lord Norman Foster and located about 4 km north of central Milan. It is situated in the quarter’s commercial center, which offers urban functions including shopping, offices, apartments, and leisure facilities.

The building is divided into three sections: the two stories under the arcades facing the street are encased in glass. The department store with atrium lies in the middle, with additional stores to the sides. Above this a fully enclosed façade encases over two stories of large, column-free space for the department store and the garden-level apartments. These are arranged in the third, green area in the form of individual villas surrounded by public and private outdoor spaces.