Garage Italia Headquarters

Garage Italia is located inside the former Agip Supercortemaggiore station in Piazzale Accursio: iconic architecture of the 1950s with its dynamic, elongated form, designed by architect Mario Bacciocchi. An example of modern streamlining, the building is characterised by the rounded edges of two disproportionate but harmonious canopy roofs.
AMDL CIRCLE has transformed the station into the headquarters of Garage Italia, with a conservative restoration intervention and static consolidation that respects the identity of the space. The main entrance, glazed, with curved glass walls and metal frame, is maintained guaranteeing the visual connection between the interior and the exterior. The mosaic of small ceramic tiles – typical of the streamline style – covering the curved surface of the roofs and façades, has been restored to bring out the original colour. Two rows of neons running along the perimeter of the wings – positioned as in the 1950s – showcase the aerodynamic form of the building. Above the line of the roof, the tall flagpoles trace the design of the original ones and bear the new company tradename, which is very visible in its function of communication for those going along the Sempione road axis.
Internally, the project is intended to evoke the original atmosphere of the mechanical workshop designed within the modernity of the 21^st century. The environments are characterised by the blue of the walls and by the internal partitions created with unprocessed iron industrial structures. The flooring is black cement. The designed furnishings take up the industrial style and are embellished by construction details drawn from the world of cars, boats and aeroplanes.
The spaces are distributed over two floors above ground and one below with service functions. On the ground floor, after the entrance, a cloud of over a thousand flying machines is suspended over the bar and accompanies visitors towards the forge of Garage Italia Custom, the personalisation space for tailor-made projects. At the back, the Materioteca is a large bookshop displaying the quality and wealth of colour of the painted plates, fabrics and leathers. An area has also been prepared with a professional Ferrari racing car simulator.
On the first floor, the restaurant occupies the only large trapezoidal room, overlooking Piazzale Accursio. At the centre of the space, the body shop of a Ferrari 250 GTO is transformed into a Cocktail Station. A toy electric track with models of racing cars is suspended from the ceiling.
Benches, tables and chairs have been designed for the restaurant. Large windows bring light to the environment, which faces onto the wings of the building.
The outdoor terrace is surrounded by backdrops of tropical vegetation, which seem to continue in the leafy branches of the trees of Viale Certosa. At the very tip, the Riva Privée is an outdoor space laid out like an Aquarama speedboat: the flooring alternates between mahogany and maple slats; the eco-leather seats are white and blue in colour.
Going down to the basement floor, two teak doors lead to the toilet facilities, with washbasins and WCs made of copper-coloured steel and teak floors and walls.
Great attention has been devoted to the sustainability of the project. The technological installations with heat pumps use ground water and exploit the geothermal principle to heat the environment. The electricity supply is partly guaranteed by solar panels positioned on the roof, without altering the architectural line of the building. The external paintwork uses photocatalytic paint, which is activated with light to reduce the presence of pollutant substances in the air and eliminate mould and harmful bacteria.