Natali Building / MMAA

Architects: MMAA – Studio Manfroni Architetti Associati
Area: 5,150 m²
Year: 2015
Photography: Roberto Buratta, LAMINAN
Lead Architects: Mario Manfroni, Patrizia Burlando
Contractor: Coperativa Cattolica Costruzioni Edili Soc Coop
Structural Design: Exa Engineering
Client: Safran srl
City: La Spezia
Country: Italy

The Natali Building, designed by MMAA – Studio Manfroni Architetti Associati in La Spezia, Italy, was completed in 2015 and covers an area of 5,150 m². The project transforms a former refinery site into a new tertiary hub, preserving surrounding green spaces. The four-story building, with its tapered form and gray ceramic Laminam facade, includes flexible interior spaces and a distinctive central stairway illuminated by a skylight. The design prioritizes the reuse of non-permeable areas while integrating high-quality materials and finishes.

The project for the Natali Building involves the creation of a new tertiary hub through the urban reorganization of sub-district 8, located on the site of the former IP refinery in the northeast of La Spezia.

The primary objective of the project is to reuse the non-permeable areas while preserving the surrounding green spaces. The new building is positioned within the existing parking lot.

The four-story building features a double-facing facade with a soft, tapered form, highlighted by prominent bevel angles. The structure includes a basement and a ground floor with free-standing pillars supporting the upper floors, which are enclosed within a more compact volume.

Independent access areas are located on the ground floor, while the upper floors house the tertiary functions. The exterior design incorporates horizontal facade partitions that accentuate the string courses.

These string courses, corresponding to the building’s three upper floors, allow for a flexible ratio between solid panels and windows, accommodating interior needs without disrupting the overall facade balance.

The Natali Building is distinguished by its high-quality finishes and materials, notably the gray ceramic Laminam cladding on the facade.

Another key feature is the central stairway with a metal structure and full-height glass railings, illuminated by a central skylight. The stairway’s backdrop is an 18-meter-high concrete wall adorned with horizontal swaying lines, achieved using a Reckli matrix rubber.