A loft in a former Milanese warehouse

Giorgio, your house is a loft in the Lambrate district. What kind of neighbourhood is it, and why did you choose to live here? What drew you to an industrial architecture in the first place?

I like authentic neighbourhoods, and when I bought the house twenty years ago, Lambrate still had a very genuine soul. With a glorious industrial past, it has since evolved into a residential area. I’m passionate about industrial archaeology and was looking for a space of this kind to turn into a home studio, something that allowed me to create an open-plan layout, a particular way of living with no constraints.

As an interiors photographer who designed his own home, do you feel your profession influenced your choices? Do any of the spaces you’ve photographed inspired parts of your home?

Yes. In the 2000s, I often photographed lofts. Two in particular left a strong impression on me: the home of renowned architect Hami Rashid in New York. It was a loft in SoHo where many details had been preserved in their original state, like the wooden floor. And designer Fabio Novembre’s home studio in Milan. That was a loft too, created inside one of the large warehouses in Via Mecenate. In both cases, I loved the idea of living in an open environment, without limits or visible obstacles.

Among the different areas of your loft, the kitchen seems to play a central role.

The kitchen and dining area are right at the entrance of the house. It’s the module I dedicated the most space to: in fact, it’s very large, larger than the living room, and it’s the most scenic part of the house. I love inviting friends over and cooking together, which is why I devoted so much space to the kitchen. I wanted a very long counter and chose not to install wall units. Instead of cabinets and pendant lamps, there are two original Seventies ceiling office lights. The kitchen has become the area I inhabit the most; it’s truly the heart of my everyday life.

As a counter, you adapted some modules of Progetto 1 by Monica Armani.

Yes. They are actually office cabinets, but I thought they worked very well with the industrial character of the house. They’re very technical, essential, minimal pieces, yet modern and functional. I didn’t need to change anything: I simply placed two modules side by side and integrated the appliances. The table, too, is a Progetto 1 piece.

Monica, what is Progetto 1, when was it created, and how has it evolved over time?

I remember perfectly the moment when Luca, my partner, and I began imagining Progetto 1. It was the late ’90s, and we were trying to define our idea of contemporaneity. We felt the need for an object that embodied a clear, clean, essential language. Something that wasn’t just a piece of furniture, but part of the architecture itself: light, technical, elegant, able to sit in a space with discretion and precision. That’s how Progetto 1 was born. Over time, it has grown and transformed, becoming an entire system: a wide and versatile collection with a unique, coherent language. I believe its strength has always been its singular simplicity: clean lines, true modularity, and an architectural lightness that makes it both contemporary and timeless. Perhaps that’s why, almost thirty years later, it still feels current.

What do you think about its change of use within Giorgio Possenti’s residence?

I see it as a very natural transition. Progetto 1 was conceived as a modular, technical system, pared back and precisely defined; by nature, it can adapt to different functions. With its wide range of sizes, heights, materials, and details, it has always offered great flexibility. In Giorgio’s home – an old warehouse transformed into a residence – its industrial, clean identity fits perfectly. It almost seems to find a new meaning there. Seeing Progetto 1 become a kitchen confirms something I deeply believe: when a project is well conceived, it doesn’t have just one destination. It evolves, it grows, it transforms with the space.

Do you see any connection between office design and kitchen design, for example in terms of functionality?

Absolutely. Kitchens, like workspaces, require operational surfaces, ergonomics, accessibility, visual order, and flexibility. These are places where functionality must be immediate and intuitive. Maybe that’s also why Progetto 1 works so well in a kitchen: it stemmed from a technical approach, almost like a workstation, and it carries that sense of rigour that has shaped many contemporary workplaces. The difference lies in the atmosphere, not in the functional quality.