A change of architecture

In collaboration with Politecnica, the Fendi Architecture Department renovated its historic company building in Milan’s Tortona district, creating a space that is both brand-defining and flexible enough to adapt to diverse and changing needs. The project followed an integrated approach to interpret and rewrite the building’s layered architecture, aligning its artistic and industrial legacy with the brand’s new operational, image, and communications needs. The building on Via Solari began life as a factory that manufactured electric turbines – the former Riva & Calzoni complex. In 1999, it became the studio and exhibition space of artist Arnaldo Pomodoro, several of whose significant works are on display there today. This historic layering of industry, art, and fashion served as fertile ground for the project.

The space comprises two volumes with interior heights of 9.4 and 14.7 m. It revolves around three distinct functional areas – the backstage atelier, the runway area, and the offices – conceived as three independent blocks connected by an elevated panoramic walkway. The key element is the Backstage Tower, which spans multiple levels and can accommodate the different phases of a fashion event, including the runway, the model lineup, the atelier for tailoring adjustments, and the showroom.

The material and color palettes clearly reflect the intended compositional and theatrical flexibility. Paired with a palette of light, neutral tones, white frames the space as an open, reconfigurable platform. And this platform keeps its past alive, with the building’s industrial heritage still legible in material and construction choices, in the extensive use of metal framing and glass, and in the measured alternation of demolition, conservation, and transformation. Materials such as travertine marble and luxury carpets reflect Fendi’s in-store design language, shaping interiors that express the brand’s understated approach to luxury.

The project effectively addresses the inherently seasonal nature of the fashion industry by creating a space that is highly reconfigurable. Maintaining the focus on the user experience, the design approaches acoustic comfort with high performance acoustic glass partitions and sound absorbing finishes. It likewise addresses sustainability through materials and technologies that will reduce the building’s environmental impact across its life cycle. This approach was supported by BIM, which enabled precise, integrated control throughout every phase.

By overlapping innovation and history, the design team has created a strongly communication-oriented space that hosts and highlights a constantly evolving program driven by an imaginative and conceptual complexity.

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Fendi Solari Showroom

The interior’s material palette achieves its technical and theatrical impact through a collaboration with PolyPiù. Opal-colored Panelpiù 500/40 5P interior cladding wraps the walls and ceiling, ensuring uniform backlighting and – because of its neutral tone – full compatibility with RGB color-management systems. Custom-engineered fasteners minimize the visibility of perimeter profiles and intermediate anchors, preventing the backlighting from revealing the underlying structure. The result is a c

Fendi Solari Showroom

Once Arnaldo Pomodoro’s studio, the building houses his Dido and Creon theatrical costumes along with his renowned Labyrinth environmental work in the below-grade galleries, cementing the dialogue between fashion and art. © Delfino Sisto Legnani - DSL Studio, courtesy of Politecnica

Fendi Solari Showroom

Pellini contributed to the interior environment by supplying the curtains and roller blinds strategically integrated throughout the space. Available in both sheer and blackout fabrics, the blinds, either motorized or manual, provide precise control of natural light. The use of Verosol SilverScreen and EnviroScreen fabrics for the roller shades provides up to 85% solar reflection. This external metallization ensures high energy and environmental performance, reconciling visual comfort with the ma

Fendi Solari Showroom

The roof preserves the original structure. New thermally broken aluminum frames and polycarbonate panels, equipped with motorized blinds, adjust light levels and shading to meet different needs. © Delfino Sisto Legnani - DSL Studio, courtesy of Politecnica

Fendi Solari Showroom

Dating to the late 19th century, the building originally manufactured electric turbines – including the first units for the Niagara Falls hydroelectric plant. Today, the structure showcases the traces of its industrial heritage. © Delfino Sisto Legnani - DSL Studio, courtesy of Politecnica

Fendi Solari Showroom

Connecting the three volumes, the elevated walkway enables flexible spatial management while enhancing the building’s energy performance. © Delfino Sisto Legnani - DSL Studio, courtesy of Politecnica

Fendi Solari Showroom

© Delfino Sisto Legnani - DSL Studio, courtesy of Politecnica

Fendi Solari Showroom

© Delfino Sisto Legnani - DSL Studio, courtesy of Politecnica

Fendi Solari Showroom

The building envelope plays an active role in shaping the showroom’s spatial identity. Schüco aluminum windows, doors and façades ground the project’s central tension between heritage and modernity in precise technical and formal terms. With their bonded glazing bars and segmental arches, Schüco AWS 75.SI+ windows reference the building’s industrial motifs while providing high-performance thermal and acoustic insulation.

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