The concepts that guided the design of the new spaces were: to inspire, innovate, make partnerships – by putting first personal, human relations rather than business ones – and give a concrete and sustainable shape to the future. The design concept "A foundry of hand-made futures" refers to the very payoff of POLIMI, which reads: "Inspiring and partnering with innovators to shape a better future for all". The new headquarters aims to be a hub, a thinking and pulsating laboratory, full of stimuli and ideas, concrete projects and authentic relationships. A place to meet and make things happen, where people share values and aspirations and get involved in reinventing the future, or better, possible futures for all.
The new campus is between Ripa di Porta Ticinese and the Naviglio Grande. The perception of dynamism and spontaneity greets the visitor right from the Welcome area. The architectural lexicon of the space relates to the context in which the building is inserted: the look and feel you breathe inside, in fact, evokes the informal atmospheres, highlighted by industrial and underground accents, of the Navigli.
When designing and building the new campus for POLIMI on the Navigli in Milan, our challenge was to translate the business school’s DNA into a place of mingling and community, a space capable of creating synergy between its various stakeholders. The new campus offers study, work and interaction spaces for over 300 students and for the school’s teachers and staff. Spread over three floors, it is conceived according to an innovative and versatile architectural idea: the interior spaces were designed to foster gathering and the exchange of ideas, convey a sense of community, and offer solutions that respond to changing needs. Capsules constitute one of the critical spaces. They are located on the second floor and can be booked as an isolation corner, a place for a coaching session—in-person or remotely—with a mentor, or for a self-assessment, thanks to the support of futuristic digital tools. The ancillary areas are designed with the Worksphere approach in mind and branch out among the rooms on the ground, first and second floors, with work settings created to stimulate spontaneous run-ins and mingling of ideas and promote a sense of collectiveness. Finally, the Multipurpose rooms (MPR), the business school's core, are classrooms designed to ensure maximum spatial, technological and functional flexibility for users.
“This is a historic and crucial step for POLIMI. With the expansion on the Navigli, our students will soon be able to enjoy an excellent educational experience, simultaneously immersed in the city's heart, a few steps from the design district and other symbolic places of Milan.” – Federico Frattini, Dean POLIMI GSoM
Il Prisma is an international architecture and planning firm with Italian origins, designing spaces and experiences for the human being. The company has offices in London, Milan, Rome and Lecce, and is divided in 3 Business Units: Cityscape, Worksphere and Destination.
Design Human Life: the way humans live and the architectures they inhabit have always been our focus of attention. We believe that every change needs adequate space to happen. We act in the area of convergence between people and organizations to design spaces rich with life, work and involvement. In a nutshell, we design human life.