A ‘Prince’ of glass in Milán | Tvitec

Gualini (Costim group) has used Tvitec's most advanced glass solutions to transform a historic building in Milan with great delicacy and respect. Príncipe Amedeo 5 uses, amongst other materials, large-scale and digitally-printed glazing to complete the Vittorio Grassi & Partners architecture studio project. The redevelopment is a candidate for the 2022 'Mies Award' E.U Architecture Prize.

“Less is more”. This is the simple way in which Mies Van der Rohe defined his work, one of the masters of 20th-century architecture. Principe Amedeo 5, one of the latest projects Tvitec has developed with the façade designer Gualini (Costim group) in Milan, is a living embodiment of this axiom. Perhaps this is why it’s been included as one of the finalists for the prestigious prize of the same name, which has been considered the European Union’s official prize for contemporary architecture for the last 20 years.

The refurbishment of Principe Amedeo, which in 1850 was the headquarters of the American Consulate and has now been transformed into a modern office complex of more than 9,000 metres across five floors, works as a showroom for Tvitec’s technological glass processing capacity.

Among the 1,000 metres of glazing solutions developed by Tvitec for the systems installed by Gualini, it’s possible to find large-scale pieces of glass, special digital printing, and, above all, triple glazing that contributes to the sustainability of this renovated historic complex.

Whether or not Principe Amedeo wins the Mies Van der Rohe Award, the building deserves recognition for its outstanding refurbishment design, in which Gualini and Tvitec played key roles. The triple glazing chosen for the project lets in the greatest possible amount of natural light with the least possible loss of air conditioning inside. The argon chamber, meanwhile, offers extraordinary additional advantages in terms of energy savings and sustainability.

The international coordinator of this contract at Tvitec, Ricardo Santos, highlights the role played by Gualini’s professionals, and is particularly satisfied with one of the solutions provided for the project: he speaks glowingly of the large-format units of up to 5 metres in height, which stand out not only for their dimensions but also for their eye-catching digital printing. On top, the monolithic units feature high-security laminates and a solar control coating identical to that of the triple glazing.

Principe Amedeo 5, designed by Vittorio Grassi architectural studio and selected as one of the best projects completed between October 2018 and October 2020, reaffirms Tvitec’s ability to meet the strict demands of such outstanding projects, where every detail is carefully studied under the focus of quality, aesthetics and environment.