Glory Days Revisited: Brutalist Apartment in Milan by Eligo Studio.

This brutalist apartment for a family of three in Milan’s Porta Romana has its glory days revisited and celebrated by Eligo Studio’s playful and considered vision. Located on the sixth floor, this home is a hidden gem within a historically significant building that contributed to the city’s architectural fabric. A feat of concrete, steel, glass and brick by Lucio Passarelli and Giuseppe Chiodi dating to the late 1960s, it was imperative the interior renovation revitalised the past while adding new chapters to the present and future.

Part of a cluster of mixed-use apartments built to cater towards the city’s residential boom, this home is characterised by “two interconnected volumes, each made up of a central module with a well-like inner courtyard and four surrounding square modules”, explains the studio. This unique language added to Milan’s unique building fabric, which in turn greatly influenced the clients’ brief for Eligo Studio directors, Alberto Nespoli and Domenico Rocca.

Window to the Water: Venice Apartment by Eligo Studio.

A focal point of this Venice apartment is the unfettered vista of the waterfront. But framing the view proved to be a double-edged sword...

Existing interior materials of bricks and raw concrete textures seen in the columns, stucco ceilings and Douglas pine windows and doors were retained and restored. Among the timeless material combinations are the small additions reflective of the contemporary iterations of the 60s architecture. In the living room lies a bespoke fireplace that vertically mimics the circular skylight of the apartment complex. Stainless steel cabinetry lifts the kitchen to a brighter tone along with its paired turquoise and teal cabinetry.

Storage is encased with mirror panels or bronzed stainless steel defined by timber borders. Bathrooms are lined in either robust white or black tiles, adding tangible textures consistent across the interior. Curiously, splashes of colours are added to selected walls and the ceiling, with the red in the ceiling located close to the main windows being a homage to Mexican architect Luis Barragan.

From room to room, each space offers a heavily compacted piece of Milan’s character, if not the apartment’s external character through the interior curation. Furniture and ornamental pieces made by local artisans and masters include Franco Albini, Gianfranco Frattini, Valentina Giovando, Elena Caponi and Elena Carozzi, selected to continually reflect the gentle tensions between past and present.

A Playground for Experimentation: Casa Ermete in Rome by Punto Zero.

The design studio transformed the classic linear plan through new volumes and unexpected elements—all while staying true to the soul...

The overall footprint remains loyal to the original, though some additions were made to allow the apartment to keep up with the times. Lighting within has also been upgraded along with new storage to accommodate the client and her family. The living dining area, bordered by glass and surrounded by plants (and taken care of by the client’s biologist husband) is gently separated by a timber sliding door for additional privacy and personality.

Lively and warm, Eligo Studio’s renovation of this brutalist apartment is a wonderful surprise that lies within the unassuming yet monumental architecture. A piece of history being revisited and reinterpreted simultaneously, one can playfully muse that it’s akin to coming home to Milan Design Week every day.

A Hair Salon in Milan Conceived as a Living Room for Friends.

With minimal, refined and contemporary aesthetic, the space has been conceived not just as a hairdresser but also a living room for friends...

[Images courtesy of Eligo Studio. Photography by Helenio Barbetta.]