The mall – now partially modified and entirely dedicated to the Armani brand, hosting the various Emporio Armani departments as well as bars, restaurants and a luxury hotel – occupies approximately 8,000 sq m over four levels. A distinctive feature of the original project was the cross-shaped gallery at ground level, which made the building permeable on all sides, evoking the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, Milan’s most famous commercial passage. Around this gallery opened the generous retail spaces of what was described at the time as “the smallest (and most elegant) of department stores”. These were complemented by a consumer electronics store on the first basement level and technical service spaces on the second. The internal circulation was articulated by two full-height foyers, including a large rotunda created in place of the former cinema auditorium, which housed the vertical circulation systems and, thanks to the skylights above, created softly lit areas filtered through delicate textile screens.
The fit-out of the retail and circulation spaces, designed by Gabellini Sheppard Associates, was particularly refined, characterized by a minimalist language and meticulous attention to detail.
