Headquarters Gruppo Pietrini

Hortus conclusus, an enclosed garden as a response to the chaos of the world: a protected place not through isolation, but through attention. An enclosure that does not deny the outside, it keeps it at a distance. Inside, the measure of time changes: light settles, air gathers, noise dissolves.

The project for the Gruppo Pietrini headquarters originates in a peripheral context characterized by heavy traffic, fast-moving infrastructure, and continuous noise. In response to this condition, we decided to propose an architecture that does not directly confront the exterior, but builds within itself a protected place, capable of offering calm, concentration, and well-being.

The offices are arranged along the building’s perimeter, while at the center an internal garden takes shape: the silent heart of the project.

A sheltered green space, screened from the noise and movement of the city, becomes a visual and perceptual reference for the workspaces.

The relationship with the outside world is filtered by a mineral façade, made of thick plaster in dark tones, which acts as a protective screen, isolating the work environments from noise and distractions coming from outside.

Just as stone appears compact, but hides its strength in cavities.

In protected chambers, in voids that gather air and shadow, in sheltered places where temperature stabilizes.

Sometimes the quality of an environment is born not from exposure, but from protection.

The central void (23 × 7.5 meters) is the foundational element of the project. An unexpected garden around which all activities are organized—offices, meeting rooms, and auditorium. A place of light, calm, and concentration.

The garden is not just a natural element, but a true spatial device: it regulates light, introduces the rhythm of the seasons, builds distance from the external context, and restores a dimension of quietude.

Within the offices, the constant relationship with greenery allows one to forget the presence of traffic and to work in a relaxed atmosphere, fostering concentration, balance, and continuity.

The workspace is thus configured as a small ecosystem, where architecture and nature collaborate to create a harmonious environment. A place designed for daily work, but also for sharing and cooperation, in which the central garden becomes a common element, a point of reference, and a visual break, capable of improving the quality of the work experience.

At the center, protected, the heart remains moist, silent, fertile.

The corridor becomes a place of encounter and perception.

A building in which atmospheres change following the rhythm of the seasons, while the boundary between interior and exterior becomes blurred and indefinite.

photo credits
Francesco Stelitano
Stefano Anzini