In 1968, engineer Antonio Migliasso decided to leave the Olivetti company. He had been head of the Design Department since 1948. Together with his closest colleagues, he founded Sertec: one of the first engineering firms to provide technical services – ranging from plant design to structural calculations – to the civil and industrial construction sectors.
The group, which worked exclusively for Olivetti but also for other clients, soon became one of the most important in Italy.
Casa Morucci was chosen as Sertec’s headquarters: situated on Via Jervis, it is located on the hillside and offers sweeping views of the surrounding landscape. However, the building required a substantial extension. In 1968, the project was entrusted to the Milanese engineer Ezio Sgrelli, at the time one of the few Italian architects inspired by ‘Brutalism’. A bold and innovative solution was therefore expected, and Sgrelli’s design immediately proved to live up to expectations.
Casa Morucci was radically altered, and a large external extension was added, with a vertical lift tower in exposed reinforced concrete.
The building follows the contours of the hill, to which it owes its dynamic appearance and the interplay of light and shadow. The top floor, which houses an elegant and spacious office, receives light from both the front and the hillside, thanks to the slope of the roof. The middle level, too, thanks to two rows of windows, is designed so that all rooms, even those set further back, can enjoy natural light.
Inside, an original oval staircase is distinguished by exquisite graphic elements and the extensive use of the colour red, almost a nod to the pop culture of the time. The canopy over the ground-floor entrance is an element that confirms just how original this project was.
In 2007, Sgrelli oversaw a further extension of his creation, towards the east, remaining true to the principles that had inspired him many years earlier.
