Luxottica Digital Factory
Where industrial heritage converges with innovation
The Luxottica Digital Factory is an architectural reuse project that merges innovation with urban memory. Located in Milan’s vibrant Tortona district, in a former General Electric complex, the building reinterprets and revitalizes an industrial past with a bold, contemporary vision, creating flexible workspaces designed for collaboration and the natural flow of ideas. With a new intended use, a retrofitting intervention and a contemporary language, the project revitalizes the existing structure, fostering a dialogue with its surrounding context. Inspired by the core values of Luxottica, a global leader in the eyewear industry, the project focuses on architectural quality and technological experimentation, with a strong commitment to sustainable solutions and respect for the social fabric of the neighborhood.
- LocationMilan
- ClientLuxottica Group
- StatusCompleted
- Year2022
- Area9000 m²
- Energy certificationsLEED Gold
- Design team
Filippo Pagliani, Michele Rossi Lorenzo Merloni (Project Director) Alessandro Bentivegna, Simone Caimi, Sofia Dalmasso, Valeria Donini, Luna Pavanello, Luca Pazzaglia, Ismail Seleit, Cristina Tudela Molino, Michele Versaci, Marco Vitalini Mario Frusca (Visualizations)
- AwardsPremio Architetto italiano 2024,Architecture MasterPrize Award 2023,The International Architecture Awards / The Chicago Athenaeum 2023,International Design Awards 2022/ Silver Prize,CIBSE SFE - Facade Design and Engineering Awards 2023,IDA (International Design Awards) - Silver Prize in the ‘Renovation’ category 2023,Archilovers Best Project 2022,The Plan Award - Winning project in the ‘Renovation’ category 2022
- Publications
- CreditsPhoto by: Andrea Martiradonna, Mario Frusca, Lorenzo Zandri, Nicola Colella
The building’s envelope, a result of advanced technological research, ensures exceptional transparency and brightness. A full-height glass facade accented with vertical bronze metal fins, echoing the rhythm of industrial sheds, enhances natural light, fostering a dialogue between interior and exterior.
The bright, flexible interiors, designed in collaboration with StorageMilano, house showrooms, commercial areas, and the Digital Lab, a center for technological innovation. An internal garden and green patios on the first floor encourage informal gatherings and moments of relaxation.
The Luxottica Digital Factory returns to the city a vital, dynamic space where memory, innovation, and creativity find an ideal ground for dialogue. It stands as proof of how adaptive reuse can breathe new life into the urban fabric while redefining the boundaries of workspace design.
