Flexibility, speed and an international character. Either due to necessity or vocation, new generations have different values compared to their parents: they travel, have smart jobs, ride the changes of modern world and look for houses that can suit their vision.
This is the reason why new formats are becoming popular, such as micro-living. These are apartments optimised in terms of space, located in central and well-connected positions, where people can live for short or long periods of time, benefitting from sharing and smart services.
Following this trend, after a series of successful openings in Switzerland, Artisa Developer Italia has recently presented the first Italian City Pop, a complex of fully furnished 260 micro-living apartments, for short- to medium-term rentals located in Viale Monza 137, Milan, near the underground stop Turro (MM1).
The project, designed by Lombardini22 for the exteriors and by Artisa Architektur AG for the interiors, envisages the complete redevelopment of an old building of 15,000 square metres destined to house studios and serviced apartments, as well as recreational and commercial spaces and parking spaces for tenants. Work is scheduled for completion in 2024.
THE EXTERIORS
The project designed by L22 Edu, the Lombardini22 business unit dedicated to Education and Student housing, includes an overall redevelopment of the existing building complex, together with the construction of a five-storey addition, flowing harmoniously into the existing volume to ensure façade continuity and architectural unity. The same choice has been adopted inside the building, where the volumetric composition of the structure has been changed by means of a partial demolition and the construction of additional storeys.
Façades have been completely reshaped: the project includes larger windowed façades and outdoor spaces for all the residential units, with an alternation of solids and voids, loggias and opaque partitions, where special attention is paid to proportions as well as the presence of vertical shading elements and parapets made of micro-perforated plates. For the ground floor, clad in Ceppo di Gré, the commercial façade has remained the same, with small and medium sales facilities.
On the ground floor there is an internal garden of 2,000 square metres, in which green areas alternate with paved areas conceived as ‘little squares’, with benches arranged to bring tenants together, while on the upper floors the roofs created by the volumetric subtractions give life to the condominium terraces, true hanging gardens.
During the design phase special attention was paid to the environmental and energy requalification of the structures and systems, through a series of works: from the insulation of the external walls to the renovation of windows and doors, to the use of heat pumps and solar panels to produce domestic hot water and photovoltaic panels for electricity.
THE APARTMENTS
The first City Pop in Italy will house 260 flats, designed in sizes ranging from 28 square metre studios to 33 square metre service apartments. These latter have a bathroom, a storage room and a recess kitchen; an equipped wall separates the living area, with a sofa and a TV, from the sleeping area, with a double bed and a wardrobe. Two different layouts have been designed for the studios: some have a linear development that divides them into three macro-areas (entrance/bathroom; kitchen area with kitchenette and storage room; living/bedroom area with a sofa bed), while in the others, after the entrance and bathroom, the different functions develop into one single room.
Thanks to in-depth neuro-architectural studies, the square metres of each flat have been optimised to make the guests’ stay as comfortable as possible. The interior furnishings are clean and linear, with soft colours and the materials used are of high quality. Particular attention has been paid to lighting and to acoustic and hygrometric comfort.
In addition, in line with the new needs emerging from the pandemic, all flats have a private outdoor space: those on the ground floor, in addition to a loggia, overlook an 11 square metre garden, while those on the upper floors have a 3 square metre balcony. The continuous air exchange, and thus the apartment salubrity, is ensured by a centralised mechanical ventilation system.
COMMON SPACES
The interaction between the guests as well as collaboration are essential values in City Pop structures: that is why the basement of the City Pop in Viale Monza includes a fitness room and a soundproof music room; on the ground floor, in addition to the bicycle storage and laundry room, there is a 250 square metre multi-purpose room, with large windows overlooking the internal garden and islands for coworking and cocooking, an 18-seat cinema room and a recreation area with a ping-pong table and table football. Finally, the first floor houses a room dedicated to meditation, with cushions, sofas, tatami and bamboo walls.
THE CITY POP CONCEPT
The format includes fully furnished micro-living apartments equipped with all comforts, halfway between the hospitality of a 4 star hotel and typical serviced apartments, the ideal solution for short- to medium-term rentals and for employees travelling for business, students, young couples and smart old people. In particular, City Pop is based on the innovative residential concept ‘House as a Service’, offering a wide range of ‘on-demand’ services that can be booked and managed through a dedicated app and a 24/7 support. The app allows the users to book and manage independently their rental agreement, common spaces and many other services: from parking spaces to shared mobility (cars and bikes), from home food delivery to professional laundry and cleaning services, to a 24h support through a ticketing system in the app. The Pop meet function – a ‘home chat’ – simplifies the contact with the other tenants, while the Around You section shows the leisure events and places in the area.
CITY POP WON’T STOP
Besides the one in Viale Monza, a second City Pop will see the light in Milan in Via Alzaia del Naviglio Grande 118, with 109 apartments. Other 11 City Pops are planned in Basel, Frankfurt, Geneva, Prague, The Hague, Berlin, Lausanne, St. Gallen, Baden, besides two facilities in Zürich, for a total of more than 3,000 apartments.
