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NH Collection Citylife. A Hôtellerie masterpiece in a Milanese historic church by ESA engineering

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The NH Collection hotel in the Citylife district of Milan attracts attention by a number of aspects, beginning with its location. The building that houses the new hotel is the former Cristo Re church, which was deconsecrated in the nineties and has remained abandoned since then. However, thanks to the conversion process of intended use carried out and completed by the architectural firm Quattroassociati, the original structure has been redesigned in complete respect for its historicity. In fact, some of the original features of the building, such as the aisle, the columns and the capitals, have been maintained and integrated with modern design elements. Based on the principle of conservation, the project sought to reinterpret the volumetric qualities of the structure and its late-Mannerist designs, translating these attributes into a model of hospitality with a strong impact.

Hotel NH Collection Milan Citylife, Milan, Italy, ESA engineering <br /> Image copyright: @Luca Girardini
Hotel NH Collection Milan Citylife, Milan, Italy, ESA engineering
Image copyright: @Luca Girardini
Hotel NH Collection Milan Citylife, Milan, Italy, ESA engineering <br /> Image copyright: @Luca Girardini
Hotel NH Collection Milan Citylife, Milan, Italy, ESA engineering
Image copyright: @Luca Girardini

The preliminary, final and executive design of the mechanical, electrical, hydraulic, lighting, acoustic and fire-prevention elements has been entirely curated by ESA engineering. A major engineering services company with headquarters in Florence and operating internationally, ESA engineering has worked alongside architects and designers providing energy-efficient system solutions. Each part of the hotel has been designed to minimize energy consumption and maximize the well-being of users, both in terms of air circulation and acoustics. Great attention has also been paid to the aesthetic aspect, which has not been altered in any way by technical interventions.

As for the interventions for the new destination of use, the apse of the church has been redesigned as an entrance and transformed into a massive reception. The two aisles were intended as a dining area for guests, including a bar, a restaurant and some common areas. Belonging to the Neo-Renaissance period, the exterior facade is characterized by the presence of a grandiose arch surmounted by a tympanum, which aims at representing a connection between past and present. The areas and additional volumes necessary to contain the 185 rooms, the conference areas and the rooftop bar with swimming pool were conceived as a continuation and natural completion of the structure. The result? A harmonious synergy between historicity and high-end contemporary architecture.

Hotel NH Collection Milan Citylife, Milan, Italy, ESA engineering <br /> Image copyright: @Luca Girardini
Hotel NH Collection Milan Citylife, Milan, Italy, ESA engineering
Image copyright: @Luca Girardini
Hotel NH Collection Milan Citylife, Milan, Italy, ESA engineering <br /> Image copyright: @Luca Girardini
Hotel NH Collection Milan Citylife, Milan, Italy, ESA engineering
Image copyright: @Luca Girardini

Among the solutions adopted by ESA engineering we find the installation of water condensed heat pumps which make use of the groundwater as a thermal source through geothermal wells of intake and output. Among the many advantages of this solution are the reduction of more than 30% on air conditioning consumption, the zero setting of CO2 emissions on site and the reduction of the delocalized ones, the reduction of noise emissions and of the heat island effect. With a view to optimizing existing resources, a water recovery system has also been envisaged thanks to an irrigation circuit, with the consequent savings in both water and economic terms.

Finally, on the lighting strategy side, the resolutions adopted have served to meet different needs, namely functional, technical, aesthetic, design and visual comfort. Last but not least, in an environment of such historical importance, the enhancement of architectural details was also an imperative. The strategy in this case was twofold. On the one hand, as for the outdoor areas, stage lighting was chosen to meet the requirement of a scenic effect. As for the common, on the other hand, lighting with a more welcoming and familiar character was preferred. Finally, to complete the whole project, a majestic chandelier of the height of 20 meters designed by the architect in collaboration with the ESA team has been placed in the hall, as the definitive highlight of the project.

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