Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research

The building has compact volumes and an irregular shape that develops on a 7 x 9.30 m plan. Each of the three floors above the ground has a surface of 1,176 m2 and hosts meeting and video-conference rooms, offices and biochemistry labs. The basement houses research and technology labs, enclosures, storage areas and a conference room. The supporting structure is built with reinforced concrete and iron, while the lofts are made of prefabricated plates. The labs and offices are divided by moving partitions and equipment and have outlooking windows. The geometry of the façades reflects the building’s module: following Nouvel’s guidelines, the architecture is characterised by wide louvered openings and continuous fronts, made of structural glass and located on two corners of the building. The surfaces are covered with prefabricated plates cast from a mix of quality aggregates and highly resistant white cement. On the top of the building, a number of steel pillars support a horizontal structure made of metal panels whose edges project out along the whole perimeter, protecting the below walls.