Nestled in the master-planned Porta Nuova district in Milan, Italy, the 124-metre Unipol Tower Group Headquarters has quickly become a landmark for the city's growing skyline. Distinctly elliptical, the new office building for the insurance company Unipol Group was designed by Mario Cucinella Architects (MCA) with a "sensory architecture" approach and a dynamic double-skin facade.
Both the lobby and the restaurant acoustics of the building were optimised with the installation of the monolithic ceiling solution Rockfon Mono Acoustic, developing acoustic comfort for approximately 650 employees.
Shaping the Building Acoustics
Rockfon Mono Acoustic was selected to meet a variety of requirements across the 23-storey building, including the strictest environmental sustainability and building acoustic standards that additionally help meet the LEED green building certification requirements required at the Platinum level.
The monolithic ceiling allows for continuous and uniform surfaces without compromising its Class A acoustic performance. "Architecture is the only art where it is necessary and essential to consider humans, their needs, and their well-being", says Elena Cerizza, architect at Mario Cucinella Architects. "We've always considered lighting and thermal comfort, but it's only relatively recently that we have understood how important acoustic comfort is".
Such careful attention on acoustic comfort is particularly critical in common spaces such the lobby and restaurant of the Unipol Tower. The control of excess noise becomes essential in ensuring a pleasant experience for employees – especially during peak traffic hours such as morning arrival and lunch – and to mitigate the uncomfortable vocal phenomenon known as the Lombard Effect. "Working and living in an acoustically comfortable environment is definitely a great plus", adds Cerizza.
Completing Mario Cucinella Architects' Design Vision
The installation of Rockfon Mono Acoustic integrated seamlessly with the existing drywall structures, allowing for the sweeping lobby and restaurant interiors that Mario Cucinella Architects had envisioned. Maintenance, lighting, air conditioning, and ventilation hatches can be smoothly integrated into its render surface, allowing the ceiling to flow with rhythm.
"The impact of introducing a product such as Rockfon Mono Acoustic did not impose any limits from a compositional point of view, and from an installation perspective, it did not create any design constraints", says Elena Cerizza, highlighting the importance of flexibility in installation.
"Office buildings are becoming increasingly complex. Rockfon Mono Acoustic is an extremely versatile panel, and its use in such complex projects has been greatly beneficial to us, even in terms of installation". The Unipol Tower now not only stands out for its refined aesthetics but also offers comfortable building acoustics, significantly improving the indoor environmental quality of the spaces for employees and visitors alike.
