General Electric Office
The General Electric (GE) construction project, a refurbishment project in an existing building, represented one of the most important urban refurbishment projects within the heart of the city of Milan.
The main focus was in creating an energy efficient and technologically advanced building with a new ”image” to it. GE wanted the building to highlight their commitment towards sustainable architecture and saving energy, and as in all office building refurbishment projects, improving commercial value also played an important role.
The interiors were designed to be very graphic and thus the realization in Graphic Concrete.
The outcome features a particular care for sustainability and energy saving topics, it has gained the Leed Platinum certification from the independent Green Building Certification Institute.
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King Inox Headquarters
KING has been involved in the marketing of standard stainless steel screws and bolts for more than 45 years.
Following the steady growth of the company a new headquarters covering an area of 12,000 square meters was opened in 2013 designed not only as a place of efficency and practical development of the business, but also as a meeting point for staff members.
Designed to make everyone feel at home even in the hours spent on the job, the new office has ample spaces for leisure, specifically designed to encourage an informal exchange among co-workers, customers and suppliers. The new site was also designed with an eye towards the use of sustainable energy sources in order to minimize the environmental impact.
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Ospedale Giovanni XXIII Chapel
“The inspiration came from the Garden of Eden, as reflected by the flowers, plants and shrubs that are repeated in the pattern. The floral imagery was realised using delicate rasterised images and a dedicated concrete mix design, creating an overall impression that is light, airy and calm. The natural light that enters the chapel through round openings in the walls and in the ceiling completes the breathtakingly beautiful effect.”
Ivo Allas, Design Director, Styl-Comp Group
The chapel won the Supreme Award, the highest recognition, at the Surface Design Awards 2015 and has been one of our all time favorites.
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Pavillion Triennale di Milano
The Graphic Concrete Pavilion hosted the Finnish Exhibition that was part of the Take Nord Shape project in the garden of the Triennale di Milano in 2012. The project aimed at examining issues relative to ecological architecture and eco-friendly design.
The Finnish pavilion showcased different Graphic Concrete patterns at the same time. The pavilion wings were good showrooms for Finnish Design; furniture, lights and others design products.
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Surface Design Awards Supreme Winner 2015: Ospedale Giovanni XXIII Chapel
BY GRAPHIC CONCRETE
13.02.205
The Ospedale Giovanni XXIII Chapel designed by Traversi + Traversi Architetti and Aymeric Zublena has won not only the category Public Building Interior Surface but also the Supreme Award, the highest recognition, at the Surface Design Awards held yesterday, 12 February 2015, in London.
Construction of this exceptionally beautiful chapel in Bergamo, Italy, was completed last summer. The interior features precast concrete panels with a GCArt&Design™ pattern. The chapel forms part of a hospital dedicated to Pope Saint John XXIII and was designed by French architect Aymeric Zublena together with Italian architects Pippo and Ferdinando Traversi . The chapel was consecrated on the feast day of Saint John XXIII, 11 October 2014, which was also the anniversary of the Second Vatican Council.
The contemporary church makes a strong architectural statement while creating a peaceful space for prayer and contemplation. The minimalist interior features light wood and warm white precast concrete walls with the GCArt&Design™ pattern. Designer of the pattern, Stefano Arienti took his inspiration from the Garden of Eden, as reflected by the flowers, plants and shrubs that are repeated in the pattern. The floral imagery was realised using delicate rasterised images and a dedicated concrete mix-design, creating an overall impression that is light, airy and calm. The natural light that enters the chapel through round openings in the walls and in the ceiling completes the breathtakingly beautiful effect.
“Graphic concrete was an excellent choice in terms of both the theme and visual appearance of the building, as well as from the artistic and economic perspective. The creation of this unique building required precise image processing, rasterising, manufacturing and installation of the large panels ,” comments Ivo Allas, Design Director of the Styl-Comp Group, which was responsible for the precast concrete engineering and production.“ This amazing chapel is a true piece of architectural art where everyone can experience enlightenment ,” Allas continues.
Location: Piazza OMS, Bergamo, Italia
Architects: Aymeric Zublena and Traversi+Traversi Architetti
Artist: Stefano Arienti
Precast Concrete Engineering and Production Specialist: Styl-Comp Group
Construction year: 2012
Product: GCArt&Design
Our warmest congratulations to Traversi+Traversi Architetti, Aymeric Zublena and the pattern designer Stefano Arienti! Special thanks goes also to Styl-Comp Group which was responsible for the concrete wall panels.
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Wheels of Success: General Electric Office Building in Milan
BY GRAPHIC CONCRETE
01.06.2016
GaS Studio was invited by General Electric Capital Real Estate to develop a refurbishment project for an existing building, ”The Gate”, in the center of Milan close to a new business district called Porta Nuova. The main focus for the project was to create an energy efficient and technologically advanced building with a new ”image” to it. GE wanted the building to highlight their commitment towards sustainable architecture and saving energy, and as in all office building refurbishment projects, improving commercial value also played an important role.
The Gate is an L-shaped office building, which rises nine floors above ground. The ground floor hosts a double height hall and multifunctional meeting rooms. The roof has a panoramic meeting room shaded with photovoltaic panels and a wide terrace. Basement floors are dedicated to archives, technical rooms, parking lot and a fitness area.
In an early phase of the planning process, GaS Studio proposed that the public interior spaces could be approached in a very graphic way. Thanks to prefabrication company Il Cantiere, GaS Studio was familiar with different kinds of concrete treatments. Graphic concrete was already being used in another project, which contributed to choosing it to this project as well.
he Gate’s interior is a combination of graphic concrete and laser-cut metal panels, which adds depth and simultaneously has an obvious continuum. The building has for example floating floors and suspended ceilings, which contribute to a modern interior layout and make it adaptable to the tenants’ needs and requirements. GE’s heritage with electricity production is reflected not only in the chosen pattern itself, but also in the design process, as the imagery has been dug out from GE’s own archives. Since the company has an obvious connection with energy production, choosing the pattern was relatively easy.
” We took in consideration a very large range of possibilities, from geothermic to photovoltaic using GE ’branded’ products. All solutions have been selected based on the ability to increase consciousness that high energy saving targets are a benefit to the building’s performance, containing tenants maintenance costs”, Architect André Straja, founder of GaS Studio explains.
One of the biggest challenges in large refurbishment projects is to optimize the use of a modest budget and combine it with ambitious expectations. ” The building is LEED Platinum * which implies a substantial, out of the ordinary investment in technical equipment, while at the same time we created new rooftop surfaces, a new garden above an existing parking area, new facades and a distinctive and elaborate interior graphic palette”, Straja explains. ” The project is particular because of the innovative and creative solutions that have been utilized to reach and achieve the owner’s goals not only for the design but also for the quality of the interiors”, Straja continues.
The construction project represents one of the most important urban refurbishment projects within the heart of the city of Milan.
*The project features a particular care for sustainability and energy saving topics, since it has already gained the Leed Platinum certification from the independent Green Building Certification Institute.
Project information
Location: Via Cardano 10, 20100 Milan, Italy
Architect: GaS Studio
Prefabrication: Il Cantiere
Constructor: Colombo costruzioni
Construction year: 2015
Product: GCArtDesign™Reference on our website
Reference on GaS Studio's website
Photo: GaS Studio
André STRAJA.
André has lead Goring & Straja’s competition efforts, winning commissions for housing, resort, cultural, and commercial projects with rigorous designs that create compelling visions with clear ideas and dynamic spaces. A member of the Aia and registered as a licensed architect both in Texas and California, André’s experience in both architectural and interior projects spans over 30 years. André holds a B.A., and B. Arch from Rice University. Prior to founding Goring & Straja he worked with Gensler & Associates in Houston and San Francisco, William Turnbull and associates in San Francisco and he was creative director of Studios Architecture (Paris), an international firm with offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington, and Paris and Antonio Citterio. André is renowned for his expertise in workplace design, interiors in general and new office building construction. André brings extraordinary drive to our work, and a commitment to meaningful collaboration with our clients.
GaS Studio
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