Alicja Nowak and Zuzanna Kletschka, architecture students at the Cracow University of Technology, won an honorable mention in the international architecture competition #MilanCall. The task was to design a design factory, in one of Milan 's busiest and most artistic districts - Ticinese.
The goal of the competition for architecture professionals and students, organized by the Start For Talents association, was to design a Design Factory building in Milan, Italy. The building was to serve as a training place for artists and designers, and the proposed workshop and exhibition rooms were to create a cultural complex integrated into one of Milan's busiest neighborhoods, Ticinese.
Submissions from all over the world were evaluated by a jury that included well-known Italian architectural studios: 3ndyStudio, ASSONOMETRIA, Bianchivenetoarchitetti, CLAB architecture, INOUTarchitettura, km 429, Laprimastanza, MORANA + RAO ARCHITECTS, OPPS architecture, Pardini Hall architecture, RRS STUDIO.
The proposed building for the Artistic Workshop Center is located in Piazza Sant'Eustorgio
© Alicja Nowak, Zuzanna Kletschka
honorable mention for polish students
Among the submitted projects, the jury appreciated the work of Polish female students (currently on exchange with Politecnico di Milano), awarding them a distinction.
The aim of the project by Alicja Nowak and Zuzanna Kletschka, placed in Sant'Eustorgio Square, was to provide compositional and communicative continuity naturally shaped by pedestrian traffic. With special care, the authors highlighted several elements of the existing plot, including the Basilica of Sant'Eustorgio (on the extension of its southern axis leading from the Navigli district). The proposed building, the Artistic Workshop Center, fits into the open composition of the square and complements it attractively. The dynamic body not only brings a modern element to the existing historic fabric of the district, but also does not limit the accessibility and exposure of the surrounding historic buildings. The suspension designed over the main entrance surrounds the view and directs the eyes of passersby to the architecture of the nearby Basilica di Sant'Eustorgio.
The first floor features an entrance hall with a reception area, café, bookstore and photography studio
© Alicja Nowak, Zuzanna Kletschka
Artistic Workshop Center
The level of the square was lowered by the architects to 1.2 meters below the ground, and this is also the level of the first floor of the designed building. This procedure made it possible to separate two parts of the square - the part belonging directly to the workshop center itself (creating an intimate public space) and the one in front of the basilica - preserving the current character of the place.
The lowering is formed by steps - seats and a ramp to ensure accessibility for the disabled. An important element of the planned square was the preservation of the magnificent trees growing there, which, together with the designed greenery, direct passersby to the workshop center.
Access to the Artistic Workshop Center is provided from the lower part of the square (main entrance) and from the opposite corner, where the bookstore is located. The building is divided into two main floors: the lowered first floor and the first floor. The first floor has an entrance hall with a reception area, a café, a bookstore and a photography studio with a skylight to provide adequate light. The first floor includes workshop rooms for fashion and art students and a permanent exhibition hall. The main, spacious lobby can also be transformed into a space for temporary exhibitions. The building is equipped with the necessary sanitary infrastructure and technical and storage rooms located on the -1 floor.
The alabaster cladding diffuses the light coming into the workshop rooms
© Alicja Nowak, Zuzanna Kletschka
The coherent body of the building may give the impression of a monolithic structure, but the material used - alabaster cladding- diffuses the light coming into the workshop rooms, while creating an interesting visual impression from both the interior and exterior.
TheCreative Hub is a pleasant, bright and spacious place for young artists to work, fitting in with the existing surroundings of Milan's piazza. The materials used relate to the surrounding architecture in a modern way, causing the interior and exterior of the building to intermingle.
