Ersel Bank

steel / aluminum

Milan – Italy

In the 1920s, Milan was a city of water: the Navigli, the Lambro, and the Ticino traced the pathways of public life, defining gathering places and routes. And it is in this Milan that in 1928 this building was constructed for the then Società Elettrica Generale dell’Adamello. The building is characterized by a rigorous geometry that lightens a composition based on classical rules. A tympanum closes the window of the noble floor that overlooks a balcony supported by columns, while four figures on the façade contribute to the compositional narrative typical of the early 20th century.

Acquired in 2018 by Ersel Spa, today one of the largest private banking groups in Italy specializing in wealth management, the building underwent a complete requalification curated by architect Alfonso Femia, who developed the project by conducting a philological research, deepening the genesis of the building and its transformations over the decades.

The new concept is respectful of the existing, without giving up functional modernization, calibrated to the needs expressed by the client and the enhancement of the original compositional elements, such as the stone that covers the base of the building, designing a landscape at eye level, typically Milanese for chromaticity and tactile perception.

The project involved the entire building: four above-ground floors and the basement, a new roof to make the top floor accessible, the insertion of a green area in the inner courtyard, and the creation of a hall of generous dimensions. A careful restoration was carried out on the Via Caradosso façade and on the original portions. The front facing the courtyard was updated, and the facades redefined with a superimposition in the roof area and additions for vertical connecting elements, creating a design bridge between the 1920s of the twentieth century and the 2020s, without interruption.

And it is precisely for the requalification of this internal space and for the superimposition of the top floor that Gonzato Group was chosen to realize a highly personalized project that perfectly responds to the functional needs and design choices of the architect. Now, the attic floor is embellished with an integrated steel structure with aluminum profiles, attached to the eaves level, which shields the large windows and acts as a sunshade, discreetly but effectively protecting the interior spaces from sunlight and making the terraces more usable. The courtyard-garden also includes other additions that testify to the fifty-year mastery in metalworking of the company from Malo. The steel parapets of the access stairs and the majestic dome that protects the main entrance, complete the formal aluminum covering of the external elevator. All installations have been made with a Rose Brass finish.

This achievement confirms the vocation of Gonzato Group to be the ideal partner for contract projects, offering structural and design solutions capable of responding to any architectural and stylistic need