Images + text from Dominique Perrault

THREE AND FOUR STAR HOTEL TOWERS
Milan, Italy
international competition by invitation, winning project April 2006
estimated completion 2008



client Sviluppo Sistema Fiera e Fondazione Fiera Milano, Largo Domodossola 1, 20 145 Milano, tel. : +39 02 49 97 1

team leader Consorzio Cooperative Costruzioni, Milano; Cooperativa Muratori e Braccianti di Carpi, Milano
+ design architect Dominique Perrault Architect, Paris
+ partner Luca Bergo, Milan
+ engineering Marcora Costruzioni, Milano; Pessina Costruzioni, Milano; Pool Professionale Milano; Sinesis, Milano

situation Fiera di Milano, Rho-Pero, Milano
site area 15 500 m2
built area 23 800 m2



beginning of execution studies May 2006
beginning of construction October 2006
estimated construction period 2 years
estimated project cost 33 000 000 €

program
Two towers of 60 and 67 meters tall, each inclined at an angle of 5 degrees, accommodate 400 3-star and 4-star hotel rooms, conference centre
and 3 700 square meters of public space (bars, restaurants, etc)

For Milan New Fairgrounds Area

Our project for two hotels in the new Trade Fair in Rho-Pero, Milan, fits in with the city’s great architectural-building tradition. Two pure geometric forms: two black and white squarebased parallelepipeds, which are sixty meters tall and set together at an angle, emerge from the horizontal landscape of the new trade fair. The radical pureness of the two buildings embodies the most deeply entrenched and profound of Milanese culture; sobriety and simplicity.



The two structures are located at the main hub of the orthogonal plan. Each tower is inclined at an angle of 5 degrees: the taller tower facing the Trade Fair to the north, the second leaning over mark the pedestrian entrance way. The cross is formed by two large semi-transparent arms. The transparency of the walls varies with the light and always flows in one direction. The cross sets out the entrances to the floors of the two towers holding the rooms and also the corridors connecting the various refreshment services and facilities: bar, brasserie, restaurant, banquet rooms and meeting rooms are easy to identity and reach through the spacious lobby, which extends seamlessly into the towers through two wide gaps.

The main entrances to the reception facility are at two ends of the arms of the cross; the reception is near the centre and instantly visible and recognizable; the bases of the tower are at the two other ends, with two entrance ramps to the levels holding the communal facilities and, above them, the floors of 3-star hotel rooms to the west and 4-star rooms to the east of the aforementioned cross.

The canopy, made of steel portals supporting a light roof made of serigraphed glass, connects the entrance gate to the Conference Centre to the hotel cross and then continues on to the level of the car park level and area planned to be landscaped with public greenery at -0.75.

The parallelepipeds formed by the two hotels are the tallest buildings on the new trade fair landscape; they stand out due to their black and white facades forming the hub of the project: the two marble towers mark the VIP entrance to the Fair and main pedestrian links between the two levels where the main outside areas are constructed. The height difference between the two main levels: +3.00 and -0.75 is accommodated near the hotels by two wide flights of stairs, while a lift, placed at the foot of the 4-star tower, provides access by mechanical means.

The two hotel towers form a simple, powerful landmark; they are two-tone: black on the east and north facades, immaculate white to the south and west.

The two structures look like two bright marble monoliths from a distance; drawing nearer, it can be seen that the fronts are fitted with various size windows forming irregular patterns on the facades. The observation decks at the top are constructed in the structure.

The façades of the two towers are ventilated and extremely efficient in terms of heating and acoustics. This is an excellent design for keeping down both energy consumption, considering the high degree of heat-sound insulation they afford, and also maintenancecleaning costs.

The two towers project out by just over 11 centimeters every meter in height. They hold the three-star hotel facing the covered pedestrian path connecting the hotels to the Conference Centre and, further on, to the city of Milan. The roofs decks – on the mirador level – both face towards the Conference Centre and VIP entrance to the Fair.

Dominique Perrault and Luca Bergo, 2006

Images + text from Dominique Perrault by disk received 230307



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