Award-winning Revo.PRIME revolving doors in a listed office building
How do you transform a listed office building from the 1950s into a modern, flexible and sustainable headquarters without losing its architectural and listed character? Discover how GEZE supported architects, planners and façade builders with advice and tailor-made door systems to transform a historic building in Milan into a sustainable headquarters for Deloitte that intelligently combines design, accessibility, energy efficiency and security.
The new Deloitte headquarters: modern office complex in a listed building
Revo.PRIME revolving doors create an impressive and convenient entrance. © GEZE ITALY
The new headquarters of Deloitte Italia is located in the historic centre of Milan. The listed office complex was designed in 1958 by renowned architects Gio Ponti, Piero Portaluppi and Antonio Fornaroli and has recently undergone extensive renovations. A modern, flexible and sustainable workplace with an area of around 48,000 m² was created, with more than 1,000 m² of green space, as the central location for all of Deloitte's Milan offices.
The challenge: combining historical preservation, energy efficiency and modern comfort
The entrance area needs to meet high standards for barrier-free accessibility, comfort, energy efficiency and historical preservation. © GEZE ITALY
The elegant lobby is characterised by stylish Revo.PRIME revolving doors. © GEZE ITALY
The aim of the project was to transform a listed office building into a contemporary, low-emission and highly functional corporate headquarters.
The challenges:
- Consolidate all Deloitte locations in Milan into one headquarters
- Preserve the architectural heritage of the listed 1950s architecture
- Achieve the most emission-free building assessment possible through high energy efficiency
- Consistent barrier-free accessibility and comfort in line with current standards
- High level of security for employees and visitors
Entrance area: crucial for historical preservation, energy efficiency and accessibility
The entrance area played a key role: it had to respect the historical architectural style of the listed façade from the 1950s while also providing an efficient, barrier-free and energy-efficient access system.
The project focused on three key areas:
- Historical preservation: The striking façade design could not be altered. Interventions in the façade structure had to be minimal and sensitive to the existing design.
- Energy efficiency & Comfort: The entrance area is a high-traffic area. Draughts, energy losses and acoustic comfort were key issues – particularly as the building was intended to be low-emission.
- Accessibility & Security: Access should be intuitive, barrier-free and secure in equal measure – for employees, visitors and international guests alike.
This meant that the entrance systems had to be architecturally understated, technically efficient and user-friendly at the same time.
Our solution: Revo.PRIME revolving doors as a central access system
With a minimum canopy height of only 75 mm and narrow 60 mm profile systems, Revo.PRIME revolving doors blend seamlessly into the building architecture. © GEZE ITALY
In order to meet the high requirements for historical preservation, energy efficiency and barrier-free accessibility, Deloitte, together with SOM, DEGW, AZA and GEZE Italia, opted for a solution in which six automatic Revo.PRIME revolving doors are the main feature in the entrance area.
Key advantages of Revo.PRIME revolving doors in this project:
- Architectural integration: Revo.PRIME revolving doors blend discreetly into the renovated façade thanks to their clear, minimalist design with a minimal canopy height of just 75 mm and narrow 60 mm profile systems. Proportions, transparency and materiality support the architecture rather than competing with it.
- Energy efficiency: Revolving doors act as a permanent "airlock" by reducing draughts and energy loss, thereby supporting the building's sustainability goals. In addition, Revo.PRIME revolving doors use 30 per cent less energy thanks to their reduced power consumption – an important step towards low-emission performance.
- Accessibility & comfort: The automatic door systems ensure convenient and intuitive access thanks to adjustable automatic speeds that match the flow of traffic – even for people with limited mobility or people with luggage. Entering the building is effortless, with features that control traffic easily.
- Security & controlled flow of people: The revolving doors enable a steady, controlled flow of people – especially during peak hours. An integrated rechargeable battery ensures emergency opening in the event of safety-related faults such as a power failure.
This makes Revo.PRIME revolving doors a key functional and design component of the entrance area at the new Deloitte headquarters.
Lobby and vestibule with ECdrive T2 reduce energy losses
In entrance areas, Revo.PRIME revolving doors provide convenient access and add visual appeal. © GEZE ITALY
In the lobby, automatic linear sliding doors with ECdrive T2 drives complement the revolving doors on the façade.
- The door drives function as an additional vestibule, reducing energy loss and improving acoustics in the reception area.
- The ECdrive T2 systems are designed for high-traffic areas and enable a quiet, dynamic flow of people, even at the start of events or during shift changes.
- With their slim design and a cover height of just 100 mm, the drive units blend discreetly into the architectural concept.
Barrier-free and secure access thanks to Powerturn drive units on interior doors
Powerturn – compact swing door drive (7 cm) for secure door leaves up to 600 kg. © GEZE GmbH
Powerturn swing door drives are used in several internal passageways within the building:
- With a low height of only 7 cm, the drive units blend discreetly into the interior design and open even large, heavy doors with leaf weights of up to 600 kg reliably and safely.
- The drives ensure safe opening and closing even under adverse conditions, such as wind pressure or negative pressure from ventilation systems.
- Thanks to the Smart swing function, the doors remain easy to open manually even as they operate automatically – a plus in terms of convenience in everyday use and in the event of a malfunction.
- The automatic swing doors connect areas such as the lobby, meeting areas, office spaces and service areas, ensuring consistent barrier-free and safe ease of access. At the same time, they can be integrated into security and access concepts – for example, for escape and rescue routes or in areas with different access rights.
Added value in operation: how building users experience daily ease of access
For the daily users of the building, the systems installed – especially the revolving doors – offer noticeable advantages:
- Security: Orderly customer flow, clear access routes and integrable security concepts ensure a high level of security.
- Accessibility: All relevant entrances are easily accessible and have no thresholds – for all persons, regardless of their physical abilities.
- Easy to use: The systems operate largely automatically and intuitively – both for visitors entering the building for the first time and for employees in their daily work.
The entrance is much more than just a passageway – it is an experience. GEZE solutions create seamless, inviting and intuitive access, combining smooth movement, security and aesthetic integration. Visitors do not simply pass through a door, but experience the building from the very first step thanks to the well-thought-out design and advanced door systems.
Gianluca Bugatti, Area Manager, GEZE ItaliaThe result: a holistic access concept – barrier-free, energy-efficient and secure
In combination with the revolving doors on the listed façade and the sliding and revolving door systems in the interior, this creates a consistent, user-friendly access concept for the entire Deloitte office building: from the public space via the main entrance to deep into the internal work areas – with uniform operating logic, high comfort and a clear architectural appearance that is in harmony with the strict listed building requirements.
All door systems used support consistent accessibility by creating barrier-free, automated and intuitive transitions. At the same time, the revolving doors, which act as vestibules, and the lobby with automatic linear sliding doors contribute significantly to energy efficiency by reducing draughts and minimising energy loss.
In addition, integrable security and access functions – for example, for escape and rescue routes or graduated access rights – ensure that architectural quality, user comfort and security levels are combined in a coherent overall concept. This makes Deloitte Italia's new headquarters an example of how revolving doors, in combination with automated door systems, can play a key role in transforming historic office buildings into modern, sustainable working environments.
Comprehensive project support during the planning and implementation process
GEZE Italia was closely involved in the process from the outset and provided support during the various project phases:
- Consulting in early planning phases:
Support in selecting, dimensioning and positioning door systems, taking into account historical preservation, safety standards, accessibility and energy efficiency. - Specialised planning & specification:
Collaboration with architects, interior designers and the façade manufacturer to harmonise the technical requirements of the door systems with the listed façade design. - Coordination with other trades:
Coordination of interfaces with AZA (façade construction) and the coordinating architect, particularly in the areas of installation, connections and control technology. - Training during commissioning:
Instructing the operating team in the operation, functions and safety-related aspects of the systems to ensure smooth and secure operation.
Project profile
– Project: Deloitte Italia headquarters
– Location: Milan, Italy
– Completion: September 2024
– Architecture: SOM
– Interior design: DEGW, a Lombardini22 Group brand
– Façade construction: AZA
