OFFICE 18

The 400 metre long housing complex on Via Gallarate on the outskirts of Milan is positioned as a wall between a busy highway and a lush park to the rear of the building. This placement determines the organisation of the plan. On one side, an array of apartments is maximally oriented towards the balconies overlooking the park. On the other, a long service corridor is lit by a regular composition of smaller windows. The rhythm of continuous balconies mediates the appearance of the different levels. Below the level of the first balcony, the linear roof of the underground parking serves as a plinth for the whole building. The main entrances lead to this general organising platform at the rear, reversing the notion of the ‘front’ of the building. Four black reflective pavilions, aligned in the park, accommodate public services such as a nursery and a community centre. The pavilions are connected to the linear slab behind them by a road that loops around the compound.