A Milanese Tale

By Editorial Staff - 14 April 2023

In Milan, the three-volume architectural complex Edifici Garibaldi Executive, known as ED.G.E., occupies three sides of a block right behind the Porta Garibaldi station, a few steps from Piazza Gae Aulenti. Strategically located in one of the city’s most fashionable neighborhoods, Porta Nuova, the complex is a “building of buildings”, in which each component has its own individual architectural identity and distinctive language.

The American multinational Oracle, a leader in technology and cloud services, has established its headquarters at the complex, occupying all five floors of the building on Via Tocqueville and another two floors of the edifice on Via D’Azeglio. The planning and furnishing of the 6,000 sq. m of office space, destined for 570 employees, was entrusted to DEGW, a business unit of the Lombardini22 group, which specializes in interior design for workplaces.

Sede Oracle | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy Lombardini 22 Le postazioni di lavoro standard sono dotate di scrivanie regolabili in altezza e sedute ergonomiche, per massimizzare il comfort dei lavoratori.

The environments were designed to be versatile, flexible and modern, aiming to incentivize employee collaboration and stimulate creativity. In addition to operational workspaces, there are lounges, meeting rooms, and open spaces for informal meetings. Each floor also hosts a free space without plans, that workers can use during breaks or for informal collaboration. The traditional workstations prioritize worker health: the desks are adjustable in height and are equipped with highly ergonomic chairs.

Each floor of the Oracle headquarters pays homage to Milan, telling the story of the city through its prominent characters, colors and nature. The ground floor is dedicated to the women of Milan: the rooms are named after Franca Valeri, Alda Merini and Carla Fracci. The first floor describes the nature and secret gardens of Milan; the meeting rooms have the names of different tree species spread throughout the city. The second floor is centered on the discovery of Milanese design, with meeting rooms named after timeless forms of the world of design such as Tolomeo, Arco and Eclisse. Color is the theme of the third floor, featuring the “Maria Teresa” yellow typical of many Milanese palaces of the 1700s on the walls and furnishings. The fourth floor is focused on music, and the meeting rooms are named for some of the most famous works of Verdi like Aida, Otello and Nabucco.

Sede Oracle | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy Lombardini 22 Il quarto piano è dedicato alla musica e alle sinfonie milanesi.

FUD, Lombardini22’s business unit focused on graphics and physical branding, created a common thread that runs through each room and unifies the different levels of the building using an attentive color palette associated with symbols, textures and graphic elements.

Lastly, there are several special rooms with specific functions, like the 60-person auditorium dedicated to Alda Merini, the customer visitor center, a representative space featuring refined finishes in natural materials, the VIP Lounge, which has two matching kitchenettes for employee events, and the library, a multifunctional room which hosts activities ranging from readings to yoga. The wall of the Library is adorned with a work of street artists Orticanoodles, another great tribute to the city of Milan through art.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The entrance to the offices on Via Tocqueville is exclusively for the employees and clients of Oracle. Characterized by a height of 6 m, the lobby is wide-open and surrounded by windows that flood the space with light and create continuity with the outdoors.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The auditorium on the ground floor is dedicated to Alda Merini and has a capacity of 60 people. It is equipped with a large LED wall and an acoustic ceiling, whose curvy lines give character to the environment.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | Each floor has a break area characterized by physical branding created by FUD for the project.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | Small lounges and informal gathering areas where employees can relax or meet with colleagues are found on each floor.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The first floor is dedicated to the theme of nature and the secret gardens of Milan – the meeting rooms are named after the many trees found in the city, like Ash, Oak and Gingko.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The two wings of the building meet in the break areas, where moments of refreshment and conviviality allow all those who are part of Oracle to meet and connect.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | Each level is characterized by a color that echoes the theme of the floor. The first floor, with its green hues, is dedicated to nature.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | Standard workstations are equipped with height-adjustable desks and ergonomic chairs, to maximize worker comfort.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | In addition to the Alda Merini auditorium, there are additional rooms dedicated to meetings and presentations on each floor.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The spider room on the second floor is a space dedicated to functional activities. Connected to the surrounding open space, the environment is made more intimate thanks to visual screens created using cords that evoke the idea of a spiderweb.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The second floor is a homage to Italian design: the dominant colors are red and orange, and the meeting rooms are dedicated to pieces that have made Italian design history.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | Even the break areas are furnished according to the theme of the floor, recalling the prominent colors and style.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The break areas are equipped with a transparent box containing a kitchenette. The glass walls are soundproofed and prevent the dispersion of fumes and odors.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The spider rooms are integrated into the open space of offices. In addition, there are additional lounges that feature a Cloud and Foliage theme.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The open spaces and break areas on each floor feature different moods and atmospheres and can also be used as settings for meetings and trainings.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | Oracle’s offices are designed to guarantee comfort and incentivize gathering and collaboration between employees. The break areas and lounges are central to this vision.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | Milan Yellow is the theme of the third floor, with everything centering on this color.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The yellow is a homage to the 18th-century noble palaces that characterize the city, whose color is called “Maria Teresa” yellow.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The rooms and meeting spaces are named for neighborhoods of Milan, like Brera, Navigli, Isola, etc.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The Library is a spacious, flexible room suitable for various purposes from relaxation to yoga. One of the walls of the rooms has been decorated with works of street artists Orticanoodles.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The fourth floor is dedicated to music and Milanese symphonies.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The wall of kitchenette of the fourth-floor break area is decorated with a large keyboard, reflecting the musical theme.

Oracle Headquarters | © Dario e Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22 | The Oracle office features special spaces like the play room, an area dedicated to free time and gathering that is equipped with videogames, table football and rocking chairs.

Location: Milan, Italy
Client: Oracle
Completion: 2022
Gross Floor Area: 6,000 m²
Architect: General Planning with Onsitestudio
Interior Design: DEGW
Physical branding: FUD
Preliminary, Final and Executive Plant Engineering: L22E&S
Lighting and Acoustics: Atmos
Art Consultant: Artlane
Main Contractor: Contec

DEGW, L22E&S, Atmos, FUD and Artlane are Lombardini22 group’s business units

Photography: Dario and Carlo Tettamanzi, courtesy of Lombardini 22

You might also like:

Contract & Interior Design 06

THE PLAN Interior Design & Contract 6 is the sixth special supplement to THE PLAN dedicated to the contract market and interior design. Out in April 2023 with THE PLAN 145, the publication brings together over 20 of the most significant projects on t... Read More