END. debuts its first overseas store, END. Milano.

The project had a clear timeline of twelve months to transform the interior design space. The store-fit out — imagined by interior designer Brinkworth London, in collaboration with ML Architettura and Tekne Spa — was brought to life by Agilité, with a complete transformation of the 1,800 sqm space. Detailed planning with all the project partners was key to its success.

In the pre-construction phase, we partnered with the Greenwich Company — which provided technical assistance to demonstrate the compliance of materials with LEED and BREEAM credit requirements, as well as providing support for the environmentally sustainable disposal of construction site waste and its computation.

The site had already been upgraded by the owner from an architectural, structural, and plant engineering point of view, therefore Agilité's objective was to inject a degree of luxury. This involved working closely with the other interior design partners and selecting and briefing best-in-class subcontractors.

Choosing natural yet exquisite materials, as well as high-end finishes, fixtures, and furnishings helped to create the required refined design palette. This included marble and maple finishings, with the addition of terrazzo and Portofino timber to localise the design experience. Challenges included materials with long-lead times, so these items were ordered as soon as possible, to avoid delays.

To stay on schedule, we used Procore’s construction software for information requests, document management, submittals and communication between the different stakeholders involved in the process. Regular meetings were held with the client, other interior design partners and subcontractors.

Project delivery was on time and to an extremely high standard, meeting the client’s strategy of creating inspiring retail concepts. Attention to the smallest details was crucial. For example, Carrara marble inserted in resin concrete was chosen for the multiple levels. On the ground floor, a 'scarpa' terrazzo effect was achieved using 10,000 6.5 cm pieces of quarry marble, which were inserted by hand as the concrete was poured. To set the stage for merchandising, all END. product displays and walls are clad in a mixture of marble, Grecian stone, terrazzo, brushed stainless steel, and wood.

The building meets the highest standards and requirements for LEED and BREEAM certification thanks to the strong emphasis on the materials chosen and the sustainable components. A sophisticated building management system has been installed, which monitors the building's climate control status in real time, to ensure safety and energy efficiency — an indispensable requirement and strategic objective for all the properties in the Generali Real Estate portfolio.