1

Università Luigi Bocconi

Grafton Architects, Design Tools

Eduardo Vargas
Student number: 10952229
Juan David Daza
Student number: 10935804
Huaijin Xu
Student number: 10678524
Gabrielle Galloso
Student number: 10798798

November 1, 2023
 2

CONTENT

INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................3
BUILDING PARAMETERS...................................................................................................... 4
Relation to urban context:................................................................................................. 4
Trought lightness and shadows:...................................................................................... 5
Layout plans and sections:............................................................................................... 7
BIBLIOGRAPHY....................................................................................................................10
TABLE OF IMAGES...............................................................................................................11
 3

INTRODUCTION

Light has always been a principle for design in the world of the greatest

architecture and art; from Moholy-Nagy’s “Modulateur Espace Lumière” and the

study of lights and shadows throughout movement, to Louis Khan saying “...even a

room which must be dark needs at least a crack of light to know how dark it is”.

Grafton Architects are not strangers to this topic, on the contrary, it is one of the

principal approaches to understand the process of design and thinking of Luigi

Bocconi University. They have embraced a long study of sunlight vs shadows,

density vs lightness, and materiality usage, to extract the purity of life in their spaces;

so, a process from paper to construction must be planned and executed.

Photo 1 Photo 2
 4

BUILDING PARAMETERS

Relation to urban context

Being the sketches the main tool for the architects, we must see line by line to

discover the thinking and purpose of each drawing. Section is clearly the way this

project was designed and through it one can see, not only that the idea of the

volumes and “mercato” were guiding the design, but also that light and incidence of

sun was present all the time. This means the architecture is as well a relation to the

site in the context of Milan and the situation of the position in the world. So, one can

actually start to understand that the volumes are a result that is linked to the

movement of the sun and the intention of taking advantage of climate conditions to

create magnificent and habitable spaces.

Photo 3

Luigi Bocconi University is not an isolated monolith but a seamless part of its

surroundings. Its design carefully takes into account the views from the main street,

ensuring that it engages with the city and the people passing by. It exemplifies the

notion that great architecture should enhance its environment, not overshadow it. It

is also evident how the main volume respects not only the average height of the
 5

preexisting blocks but also a sort of rhythm present in the original buildings. While

there is an assimilation and mimesis on this general proportions there is also a

desire for uniqueness, expressed in its contrasting materiality.

Photo 4 Photo 5

There is also an interesting approach on the relation between the internal spaces

and the city:

¨ The Aula Magna, pivotally erupts at the corner in a great gravity-defying wedge that recalls

Melnikov’s famous Rusakov workers’ club in Moscow. Here, as in other places, the ground

plane is carved out and pulled away to admit light and views, through fins of clear, curtain

wall glazing.¨1

Trought lightness and shadows

Once the building reaches the construction stage, the gestures present in the

first sketches are materialized. The materials, carefully selected to take advantage of

the local and represent the abstract. The ¨ceppo di gre¨ is a type of stone common

in northern Italy, coming from quarries in Lombardia. In contrast, glass in its different
 6

formats and finishes end up configuring the interior spaces. On the ground floor,

when the transfer is not effectively passable void it is transparent glass. The

building’s architecture marries the classic and the contemporary by juxtaposing

Ceppo stone external walls with frameless glass walk. This striking combination

creates a visual spectacle that is not only unique but also pays homage to traditional

Italian building materials while embracing modern design aesthetics.

Photo 6 Photo 7

Meanwhile, on the upper floors, the windows facing the patio have a double skin of

opaque glass, which diffuses and nuances the natural light while regulating the views

between offices. Issues of privacy and light penetration are adeptly addressed, with

the blocks clad in a mixture of clear and translucent glass shingles. Though offices

are conventionally banked off spinal corridors, translucent glass walls transmit a

radiance through the interior.

In an age where soft, blob-like structures often dominate the architectural scene, this

university building stands out with bold geometries. These geometries are also

reminiscent of the quarries from which the stone used for the facades is extracted.
 7

Photo 8 Photo 9

On the other hand we can analyze the artificial lighting principles, to seamlessly

merge it with the architecture. Light was used as a tool to accentuate the volumes

and surfaces of the architecture, an interplay of contrasts between lighter and darker

zones, creating an intricate dance of light and shadow throughout the space.

Photo 10 Photo 11

This clever play of the light and surfaces creates an interior experience like no other.

It blurs the lines between indoor and outdoor, public and private, and adds an

element of surprise and delight.

Layout plans and sections

In a predictably demanding program, the 80 x 160m corner plot somehow had to

house a conference hall, five lecture theaters, a library, meeting rooms, and offices
 8

for a thousand professors. As the site (a former bus park) is surrounded by mid-rise

apartment blocks, planning regulations stipulated that the building could be no higher

than 22m above street level. The obvious solution was to put the lecture halls below

ground, that is why, making this underground realm ‘pleasurable and habitable’

became the project’s critical goal.

Section 1

Floor plan 1
 9

Beyond its aesthetic appeal, the building boasts remarkable innovation in its

construction techniques. Its structure resembles a bridge, with surfaces and volumes

seemingly “hung” on steel tie beams.

General layout 1

In the entrance and the foyer, the lighting is soft, emanating in part from the ceiling. A

primary principle here is to keep the fixtures hidden from the users' perspective.

Vertical structures and surfaces are accentuated by floor-recessed linear fixtures,

with an emphasis on preventing glare. Within the basement foyer, light takes on an

indirect and reflective quality, as it bounces off the ceiling onto the ground. This

captivating effect is achieved through asymmetrical projectors, thoughtfully

positioned at the base of the glass facade.

Photo 12 Photo 13
 10

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. SLESSOR C. (2009), “ School of economics in Milan by Grafton: an architecture of sobering power”, The

Architectural review, no. 1345

CASCIANI S. (2008), A crystal heart for Milan. The new Bocconi University, Editoriale Domus, MIlan

CASCIANI S. (2009), “Urban Attitude”, Irish Review, no.26

CORRIERE DELLA SERA (2018), Sfide - Campus e università, Corriere della sera, Milan

GRAFTON ARCHITECTS (2015), “Space for time”, Irish Review, no. 51

SERRAZANETTI F., SCHUBERT M. (2013), cured by, Grafton Architects: Inspiration and process in architecture,

Moleskine, Milan

UNIVERSITA’ COMMERCIALE L.BOCCONI (2008), Bocconi, brochure, may 2008.

 11

IMAGE TABLE

Photo 1 Modulateur espace-lumière, Moholy-Nagy.

http://hida.eklablog.com/le-mouvement-p98237

Photo 2 Louis Kahn Looking at His Tetrahedral Ceiling in the Yale University Art Gallery, 1953.
Gelatin silver print. Image © Lionel Freedman. Yale University Art Gallery Archives Transfer
https://www.archdaily.com/334095/happy-112th-birthday-louis-kahn

Photo 3 View from Viale Bligny (Photo: Brunetti) https://www.graftonarchitects.ie/Universita-Luigi-Bocconi-Milan

Photo 4 View of the Auditorium Undercroft (Photo: Paolo Tonato)

https://www.graftonarchitects.ie/Universita-Luigi-Bocconi-Milan

Photo 5 Rusakov Workers’ Club, Moscow.

https://russianconstructivists.blogspot.com/2011/09/rusakov-workers-club.html

Photo 6 Ceppi della Bergamasca

https://www.bg.camcom.it/pietre-originali-della-bergamasca/pietre/ceppi-della-bergamasca

Photo 7 Facade to Via Roentgen (Photo: Brunetti)

https://www.graftonarchitects.ie/Universita-Luigi-Bocconi-Milan

Photo 8 Inner Courtyard (Photo: Brunetti)

https://www.graftonarchitects.ie/Universita-Luigi-Bocconi-Milan

Photo 9 Inner corridor

https://economics.unibocconi.eu/

Photo 10-13 Application of light

https://www.metislighting.it/portfolio/bocconi-university-milan-interiors/

Section 1 Aula Magna section

https://www.graftonarchitects.ie/Universita-Luigi-Bocconi-Milan

Floor plan 1 Ground Floor Plan

https://www.graftonarchitects.ie/Universita-Luigi-Bocconi-Milan

General layout 1 SLESSOR C. (2009), “ School of economics in Milan by Grafton: an architecture of sobering
power”, The Architectural review, no. 1345 pg. 40 - 41

https://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/school-of-economics-in-milan-by-grafton-architects-an-architecture
-of-sobering-power