In a suburban area of Milan where former industrial buildings and workshops have gradually given way to newly built residential developments, an old warehouse survives as one of the last traces of the area’s productive past. It is within this transitional urban landscape that Case per Due Fratelli, designed by architect Andrea Gianni, takes shape – a project that transforms a former industrial building into a contemporary domestic space.
The project originates from the owners’ decision to resist speculative redevelopment. Rather than demolishing the existing structure to make room for a new condominium block, the two brothers chose to preserve the building and convert it into their home, maintaining the character and identity of the original architecture.
Located at the back of the lot and facing a private courtyard, the existing building is composed of three main bays plus a half bay, defined by pitched roofs, a reinforced concrete structure, solid brick infill walls and metal frames. The intervention included extensive structural and technical upgrades in order to adapt the former industrial shell to contemporary living standards, improving seismic performance, thermal insulation and acoustic comfort.
At the core of the project lies the insertion of autonomous white “boxes” within each bay – abstract and minimal volumes conceived as new domestic devices capable of coexisting with the industrial envelope. Open toward the courtyard side and illuminated from above through skylights aligned with the original openings, these inserted structures organize the interior program while preserving the perception of the existing architecture.
Between the new volumes and the original walls, the architect integrates insulation systems and technical infrastructure, while longitudinal appendices define more functional areas such as kitchens, bathrooms and study spaces. To avoid perceiving the bathroom as an enclosed object within the volume, Andrea Gianni employs softer materials and frameless glass partitions that preserve the continuity and readability of the internal shell.
The dialogue between the ethereal whiteness of the inserted boxes and the raw materiality of the existing structure becomes one of the project’s defining qualities. Natural light entering through the skylights enhances the abstract spatial atmosphere, while exposed cement plaster surfaces and thermally broken steel frames reinforce the tactile connection between interior and exterior, past and present.
The building was divided into two independent housing units. The larger apartment, spanning two bays, is occupied by the older brother and his family: one bay accommodates the living area, while the second hosts the sleeping quarters, articulated through furniture and partitions that define different spatial conditions without interrupting the overall continuity of the interior.
The smaller unit, conceived as an urban retreat for the sister – an art enthusiast who temporarily uses the space as a base in Milan – occupies one and a half bays. Here, the main bay contains the living area, while the half bay becomes an open and flexible sleeping space.
CREDITS
Project: Case per Due Fratelli
Studio: Andrea Gianni
Location: Milan, Italy
Photography: Federico Villa
