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At the intersection of Porta Nuova’s business district and the vibrant, character-rich Isola neighborhood, Park has designed Lybra, a new office complex conceived to accommodate a contemporary workspace, and now home to the new headquarters of SAP Italy. The architectural concept is based on the idea of balance, which gives the project its name. Comprising two distinct yet harmoniously balanced volumes, the development reflects the dual nature of the city, engaging with two contrasting urban scales. The lower, recessed volume aligns discreetly with the residential fabric of Isola, while the taller building opens towards BAM -Biblioteca degli Alberi, establishing a visual and conceptual connection with the verticality of Porta Nuova’s skyline. Between them, a third element, the Green Void, acts as a hinge, both spatially and symbolically.
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Lybra introduces urban porosity. A new public plaza is carved out at the corner of the site, restoring access to a previously enclosed area. The Green Void, a fully glazed vertical space flooded with natural zenithal light throughout the day, serves as the true heart of the project. Functioning as a bioclimatic greenhouse, it hosts tropical vegetation and a monumental wooden staircase that encourages vertical circulation, weaving a continuous spatial narrative between the two volumes.
The building’s envelope pays homage to the aesthetics of historic greenhouses, with a rhythmic interplay of vertical and horizontal elements and a refined balance between transparency and opacity. The façades, glazed across more than two thirds of their surface, integrate energy harvesting technology. Photovoltaic modules embedded in silk-screened glass generate clean energy while preserving the building’s elegant urban presence. The system is the result of extensive research that combines aesthetic innovation with environmental performance.
Lybra acts as a catalyst for urban connection, both functional and emotional. Its dual volume composition reflects the site’s inherent contrasts, while the transparency of the Green Void mediates between openness and enclosure, nature and architecture. The building’s sustainability strategies, including passive solar shading, photovoltaic integration and natural ventilation, are seamlessly embedded within its formal language, creating a workplace that is more than just a functional space. It becomes a platform for interaction, movement and regeneration. By redefining the boundary between private and public, between glass and greenery, Lybra contributes a new sense of urban balance to Milan’s evolving architectural landscape. The project is LEED Platinum, WELL Silver, and WiredScore Certified.
SAP Italy’s decision to relocate its headquarters to Palazzo Lybra stems from a desire to be closer to its ecosystem, provide employees with an innovative work environment, and promote flexibility and sustainability. The spaces have been designed with a strong focus on people’s well-being and feature a layout that fosters creativity and collaboration. Ongoing WELL and LEED certifications ensure that the headquarters meets high standards of wellness and environmental impact reduction. - SAP Italy
Park Associati, founded in Milan in 2000 by Filippo Pagliani and Michele Rossi, is an interdisciplinary collective of architects, designers, and researchers. They aim to shape the future of the built environment through a comprehensive approach encompassing architecture, urban, landscape, interior, and product design. Every Park project is deeply rooted in its specific context, evident in works such as the Regione Lombardia skyscraper, and headquarters for Luxottica and Salewa. The studio strives to reveal each design opportunity's inherent identity, delivering a transformative, unique, and coherent vision. Operating at the intersection of tradition and innovation, Park excels at reinterpreting and regenerating cities into new models of liveability and sustainability, with adaptive reuse as a core strategy. They anticipate the long-term impact of their architecture, enriching lives and fostering a new bond between people, places, and the planet.
