Lenovo
Area has worked with Lenovo for many years, delivering workplaces in Hook, Basingstoke, Farnborough, and Paris. This ongoing relationship has given us a deep understanding of Lenovo’s approach to workplace design, where technology, collaboration, and employee wellbeing work together.
The Milan project continues with partnership. While this workplace needed to align with Lenovo’s global identity, it also had to reflect the needs, habits, and culture of the local team.
Client
Lenovo
Services
Office Design, Construction
Size
15,000 sq ft
Location
Milan, Italy
Developing the Strategy
We began by spending time with Lenovo’s Milan team to understand how they work, how different groups interact, and what they needed from the space. Their requirements were clear: strong acoustic management, logical separation between teams, and a layout that could support a wide range of daily activity.
This led to a planning strategy built around defined zones. Teams with higher activity were placed in areas with stronger acoustic control, while quieter zones supported focused work. Enclosed spaces, integrated phone booths, and careful positioning of work settings helped us achieve the right balance between openness, privacy, and flow.
Milan Design Language
The design reflects the contemporary and sophisticated character of Milan. A deeper, nuanced colour palette brings a modern, edgy feel to the space, while careful detailing, form, and pattern throughout provides visual cohesion with the other Lenovo’s locations.
Transition corridors were used to support movement through the office and provide clear separation between zones. This helped create a simple, intuitive sense of journey from one area to the next.
A Defined Layout
The floorplate follows a two-wing structure, similar to the Farnborough project. The east wing serves as the public-facing side of the workplace, welcoming visitors and housing the reception, social spaces, and meeting rooms. The reception features a sculpted ceiling installation, designed to create a memorable arrival point and express themes of adaptability and transformation.
The west wing continues the design language while addressing different functional needs. Collaborative settings are supported by enclosed areas that provide greater privacy. Partitioning was introduced carefully to maintain discretion where required, without compromising the overall openness that underpins the workplace.
Impact & Experience
This workspace provides Lenovo’s Milan team with a contemporary and highly functional environment tailored to their working patterns. It delivers a balance of collaboration, focus, and privacy, combining strong design elements with practical planning. The result is a workplace that reflects Lenovo’s global identity while establishing its own distinct personality, responding to Milan’s design culture and supporting the daily needs of the local team.