UNStudio’s competition proposal for the ENI Foundation Headquarters takes cues from the company’s tradition. The ENI Foundation is a non-profit organization, operating in the field of sustainable development and global governance. With offices in several Italian cities, it is organized as a research center, providing analysis on a wide range of environmental issues. The design proposal draws inspiration from the traditional form of the renaissance “palazzo”, historically close to the organization, extending the concept of horizontal looped systems to the contemporary issues of communication and energy preservation.

The VI Palazzo was designed for the San Donato Milanese municipality, in the province of Milan. Several circular structures are superimposed, each with its own “cortile”, generating a larger scheme with interconnected green spaces. The circular communication generates an efficient and simple dynamics between people.  The adopted layout of the complex doesn’t simply reference the traditional Italian architecture, but has its role in the overall energy concept of the masterplan. The VI Palazzo conforms to the Kyoto Protocol, to which ENI has agreed. Energetically sustainable, the project will be able to input energy into the local smart grid, improving significantly the quality of life not only for the employees of ENI Foundation, but also for the inhabitants of the entire neighborhood.