Richard Meier & Partners Architects LLP

ENI Headquarters Competition

San Donato Milanese, Italy


Situated on a site within the heart of Metanopoli, in San Donato Milanese, the new CDe&p building achieves its prominence on the Metanopoli skyline by virtue of the form, geometry and materials. This combination of architectural language reinforces the nature of the site and its circulation, particularly the new connection from the north to the south of the site creating a series of generous open spaces for the ENI staff via a six story high open atria, while also maintaining a strong sense of direction for west to east expressed through the building volumes. The atria are architecturally integral to the three buildings linking them with a continuous path and become ideal spaces for gathering and exchange and creating an interactive environment.

Along Viale de Gasperi, one finds a structure that is reminiscent of the existing wall, but in a pristine white translucent concrete box that encloses the mechanical equipment at the west end which slowly transforms to a solid white concrete top that hovers over a green vegetative wall stretching along towards the east end. The memory of the existing ENI gate has been preserved and reinterpreted as a green gateway. The white concrete used is the latest innovation from the Italian cement company, Italcementi, which is a white concrete that breaks down pollution as a photocatalytic reaction with the sun’s UV rays. Having a screen barrier using this sustainable product will reduce CO2 levels from Viale de Gasperi traffic.

The architectural parti for the CDe&p building is six blocks connected by a central spine. The architectural intent is to compose a transparent, translucent and a solid white building. Each block, representing a building wing, has a pristine glass envelope containing typical office spaces with the General Manager’s wing contrasting solidly in the center building on the west side of the site.