OFFICINE DEL VOLO

A space that becomes memory.

Officine del Volo in Milan means

this, and much more.

It is an extraordinary journey

of the senses from the city of the

aerospace industry to the modern

business metropolis, from

the creativity and efforts of the

early twentieth century to the

imagination and efficiency of the

present. Today, Officine del Volo

is a place where the world

of fashion, art, advertising, cinema

and creativity have discovered

its natural venue. A place for

inventing fashion shows, spot ads,

celebrations, conventions and

presentations can enjoy a setting

that is ultramodern, and yet its

sensations and tastes recall those

of Milan as it once was.

Officine del Volo was once the

Caproni factory, a name that since

1915 has evoked the aura of the

industrial development that

changed the face of the city.

This is where aircraft were built,

and it is located in the district

around Via Mecenate where, even

today, the walls tell a story of hard

work and of the dream of flying

towards the future – a tale

of suffering and success.

This aura has been the cornerstone

of this place from the moment

designer Nicola Gisonda passed in

front of it and, in a flash of insight,

realised that the former Caproni

factory was the perfect tribute to

the modern business city of Milan.

Naturally, the reconstruction work

had to go beyond mere architectural

plans and masonry.

The underlying concept was not

reconstruction, but rebirth.

And this is indeed what has been

achieved. Everything that could

possibly be recuperated has been

renovated.

The parquet flooring, the roof

beams, the brick façades,

the stonework, the plaster walls

and the windows have been

restored and cleaned using special

techniques that have brought out

all their original features while also

safeguarding the marks left by time.

The designer has faithfully followed

his initial objective:

“not reconstruction, but rebirth”.

As a result, to make new elements

he utilised three materials that

were used throughout the original

building: concrete, wood and iron.

He also designed elements that

can be perceived across the entire

space. The large exterior iron

staircase is virtually a suspended

walkway and the fencing, made

of bent Corten steel sheeting,

sketches out the wing profile

of an airplane borne and propelled

by the wind. The lift – an ultramodern

element – is made of glass and steel.

Because at the Officine del Volo the

past has joined forces with the most

functional and modern elements.

The ex Caproni Factory is once again

part of the present and the future,

with the innovative

spirit of the past.