Novocomum

Novocomum is a five-story residential building with curved corners and expansive windows that evoke the shape of a ship docked along Lake Como. Each floor holds approximately eight apartments arranged along central corridors, with the entire structure built in reinforced concrete featuring minimalist details throughout.

Designed and built between 1927 and 1929 by architect Giuseppe Terragni, the structure introduced modernist residential design to northern Italy's architectural landscape. Its success helped establish rationalist principles in housing construction across the region.

The structure represents a bold rejection of ornamental traditions that dominated Como's architecture, embodying the architect's belief that form should serve function. Its stark simplicity was revolutionary for the city and continues to draw people who appreciate clean, honest design.

The building stands in Como's downtown along Via Giuseppe Sinigaglia and is easily accessible on foot, with clear views from the lakeside promenade. Since it remains an active residential building, the interior is not open to visitors, though the exterior can be fully appreciated from street level and the waterfront.

The cylindrical forms at the corners create an optical illusion that makes the building appear to hover slightly above ground level, as if floating on its contours. This subtle feature becomes apparent only upon closer inspection and reveals the architect's careful attention to how volume interacts with space.