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Studiometrico - Bastard Store
One of the latest project firmed by the italian design studio “studiometrico” which converted an old cinema in Milan, into the new Bastard flagship store. The spectacular and hazardous ultimate milan recreative device including an administrative offices and a suspended bowl…enjoy your fly!
The existing building
Designed by engineer Mario Cavallé in the 40’s, Cinema Istria is a cinema theater with an overall surface of 1.400 sqm and an overall volume of 6.600 m³ occupied by the old pit and by a suspended balcony of 350 sqm. The roof of the building is composed by several arches in reinforced concrete.
A 800 square meters ceiling light fixture is suspended under the vault through a steel construction. Although it had been used by its last owner as a car dealer for some years, at the time of our first visit the Cinema theater was still able to show its original character.
For this reason, and for its capacity to satisfy Comvert needs, it has been immediately perceived by designers and clients as a ‘unique place’. In 2006 the Cinema was purchased and in January 2007 the refurbishment started.
The project
studiometrico has first observed and gathered information concerning habits, attitudes and wishes of Comvert employees. These collected data have been drawn up, presented and discussed in several meetings with the aim of defining a desirable and shared idea of ‘working together’. This idea could be translated in facts through the construction of working places that could facilitate a continuous communication between employees. Organizing Cinema Istria as a space and having it equipped with all the necessary infrastructure was extremely complex. Nevertheless the cinema has proved to be an incredibly adapt environment for the realization of architectural places that could respond to those needs that had already been focused on. All the activities that constitute the history, the culture and the world of bastard are put in a continuous physical and visual communication.
Products Depot
In the 15 m tall and huge space of the old pit, against the wall on which the old screen used to lay, the metallic, black painted, two storey structure of the products depot has been placed.
The depot can be accessed from the administrative department or directly from a courtyard - connected with Via Slataper – that lays along one of the sides of the building.
One of the walls of the courtyard is characterized by an enigmatic graffiti drawing done by artist and skateboarder Lorenzo Fonda. The products depot is the predominant element inside the volume of the pit and it doesn’t just act as a big container for the goods, but, more importantly, it carries and - through an industrial steep staircase attached to its structure - provides access to the bastard Bowl.
Showroom
The lower steps of the balcony have not been modified. The original wooden floor and wooden banisters have been restored and the existing levels have not been adjusted in order to guarantee the access from the curved staircases from the lower foyer and to obtain a free, flexible open space.
These lower steps are mainly used as showroom for the products that are presented to the sales representatives that sell them to more than 300 shops in Italy and abroad. The black-painted removable steel standers can be interchanged with the ones in the bastard Store and are characterized by two little ‘horns’ to recall the Comvert logo designed by studiometrico.
The showroom can be used, from time to time, for informal meetings, video projections, fashion shows to present the collections or, more simply, as a chill-out area.
Bastard Bowl
Suspended at 6m over the products depot, placed in front of the design department, the bastard Bowl is too important not to find a location inside the new headquarter of a company founded by skateboarders. It is the pride, attraction and ‘dream that comes true’ for Comvert partners, employees, friends and team-riders.
The idea of placing this 200 m² bowl on top of the products depot came from the need of saving space and from the desire of establishing a visual and spatial relation with the design department. The bastard Bowl is composed by glue laminated wooden element and steel curved beams, it has been designed by Comvert partners together with the engineer practice Atelier-LC and is a unique case in Italy.
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Photographs by Giuliano Berarducci & studiometrico
Thanks in advance. Alvin.
[...] One of the latest project firmed by the italian design studio “studiometrico” which converted an old cinema in Milan, into the new Bastard flagship store. The spectacular and hazardous ultimate milan recreative device including an administrative offices and a suspended bowl…enjoy your fly! All about the project! [...]
[...] Via: Fabrik Tags: Arts, Business, Construction and Maintenance, Design, Flagship, Makes and Models, Milan, Recreation This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 12th, 2009 at 9:06 pm and is filed under Crazy, Design, Off The Wall, Skateboarding, Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. [...]
[...] Ein bisschen neidisch sind wir ja schon auf die Bastard Lagerhalle. [...]
[...] Het italiaanse designbureau”studiometrico” transformeerde een oude cinema in de nieuwe Bastard Flagship Store (volgens mij een italiaans skateboardmerk) Ziet er natuurlijk supercool uit. Meer hieroverhier [...]