Overlooking piazza Gae Aulenti on one side and the Porta Nuova Garden – Biblioteca degli Alberi on the other side, the new COIMA headquarters tells the story of its human-centred soul through its architectural lines, but especially in its functional characteristics. With over 2,000 square metres of glass and iron shrouded in two bark-effect laminated wood wings stretching towards Porta Nuova, for the first time in 40 years the COIMA platform companies will all be united under one roof. The word “headquarters” for this building is an understatement, which does not manage to encompass the philosophy that went into its design and construction, placing the people who will work in it at the heart of the concept and with a special focus on the environment. A home where ideas will be conceived rather than a simple head office:
It is a history about people, a project designed by and for people, therein lies it strength. The fact that it has been built in Porta Nuova is not an accident: after being “home” to 15,000 UniCredit, Google and Nike employees, the time has come for us to move in too. It has been a great opportunity to be able to “test drive” a building in the dual role of developer and tenant and to also be able to explore new smart working practices for our 150 plus collaborators.
To create this space, our collaborators have, in a certain sense, become co-protagonists in the design journey, voicing their needs and requirements in the workplace.
The process was led by COIMA Image, specialised in architectural design, interior design and space planning, listening to, observing and interviewing the people who work at COIMA, finding out about their habits, requirements and desires, to create – together – a workspace that is not simply efficient but also somewhere great to live in.
This means well-being and comfort within the working environment. Starting with the acoustics, an important element, because silence is relaxing and aids concentration. Moving on to the quality of the light, both natural and artificial. Followed by the quality of the environment, which needs to be healthy, have good climate control and ventilation, with pleasant furnishings.
The view from the windows takes in relaxing shades of green, an open space where you can go for a stroll or enjoy a good cup of coffee: nothing has been overlooked, because the quality of work also depends on the well-being of people – this was the assumption behind the “Naturally Connected” route, listening to collaborators and their requirements, that led to creating the spaces that you see today and which are, above all else, for human beings. Spaces in which we find a personal dimension that is intertwined with a professional one, like the COIMA Caffé on the terrace of the building, but also simply the large windows which let in the sunlight, open, shared spaces without partitions.
