Milan is recreating itself. Where former industrial sites once lay derelict, urban landscapes with showcase character are being created. Under the direction of the CityLife Consortium, three spectacular office towers from the star architects Arata Isozaki, Zaha Hadid and Daniel Libeskind are shooting skyward out of the 250,000 square metre former exhibition centre site on the western edge of the city centre. Next to them: futuristic-looking residential buildings. Zaha Hadid´s Residences in the south-east of a gigantic park - seven buildings arranged end-to-end - are optically reminiscent of cruise ships: curvy creations with bow-shaped balconies and terraces, heights varying from five to 13 storeys and clad alternately with white fibre-reinforced concrete and brown wood panelling. The complex façades were developed and produced by the specialists from Permasteelisa S.p.A. (the parent company of Gartner GmbH, Germany). For the individually formed window openings AGC Interpane supplied a total of 19,000 square metres of iplus insulation glass in numerous special shapes and constructions.

The Residences, with their elegantly flowing forms typical for the Pritzker Prize winner Zaha Hadid, contain around 230 apartments with a total of 45,000 square metres of living space. Almost all the apartments are orientated towards the south-east so that the residents look out onto the city and the park from their balconies or from the roof-terraces of the penthouses. The green space contributes to sustainability: it will absorb around 60 tonnes of CO2 annually and filter pollutants. A radiating network of footpaths and cycle routes links the city centre and its peripheries; the area is free from motor vehicles - at least on the surface. Despite this, driving home with the car is possible: each apartment has two or more parking spaces linked to an underground infrastructure.

AGC Interpane supplied the insulation glass (iplus) in many special shapes for the large-format windows of the light façade. In the winter months its low thermal transmittance (Ug value) makes sure that the warmth remains inside. The high colour neutrality keeps the view to the outside true-to-life. The construction of the insulation glazing varies along with the shape of the panes. In places where additional fall protection is required, laminated safety glass made from thermally toughened glass was combined with fully tempered glass. In other places float glass and fully tempered glass, or two panes of fully tempered glass were used. But comfort is not only provided by the well-insulated façade and the ultra-modern home technology: each building has a round the clock concierge service.

Source: AGC Interpane