Mondadori headquarters, Modern office building in Segrate, Italy
Mondadori headquarters is a five-story modern office building in Segrate that hovers over a reflecting pool, creating a striking visual separation between the structure and ground. The design uses reinforced concrete and glass with elongated rectangular proportions and curved facades that run along the north-south axis.
Giorgio Mondadori commissioned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1968 after being impressed by his Foreign Ministry building in Brasilia. The headquarters emerged as part of a broader international movement in architecture that brought modernist forms into functional workspaces.
The building reflects a Brazilian architect's vision applied to an Italian workplace, introducing curved forms and open spatial concepts that were uncommon in Italian office design of that era. The flowing lines and extensive glazing shaped how employees and visitors experience the interior.
The building sits near Linate Airport and is relatively accessible by public transport, though public access inside is limited since it remains a private office facility. The best way to appreciate the structure is from outside, where you can see the curved facades and the surrounding water feature clearly.
The uneven arch curvatures along the facades create shifting light patterns that change with the time of day and season. This subtle variation was an intentional design choice meant to prevent visual monotony and psychologically shape the work environment.
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