Paola Navone turned a Moscow textile factory into an impressive office building that fits into trendy surroundings.

 On entering the new headquarters of the Art Trading Group, located on the Savvinskaya bank of the Moscow River, you feel as though the red carpet had been rolled out especially for you. Paola Navone has turned an 18th-century textile factory in the Russian capital into an impressive office building that fits into trendy surroundings featuring boutiques, restaurants and other ‘places to be’. The brief that Navone received asked for an office environment in tune with the day-to-day activities of the organization’s creative staff. The Italian architect subsequently converted the 550-m2 space into a showroom for some of her country’s finest brands. The result is as diverse as the ideas born with the confines of the new headquarters.

Each room – all of which are different – reflects the personality of the professional who works there. Even the rest rooms, highlighted by doors from L’Invisible, have an extra-special look. The layout of the interior is that of a ‘micro-village’, in which open spaces alternate with small ‘houses’. Although a medley of furnishings, colours and materials have been used to characterize the various rooms, Navone inserted a unifying leitmotif that interconnects all elements of her plan. A route of red mosaic tiles – murano rosso by Sicis – runs throughout the interior, creating a coherent design and giving visitors a warm, red-carpet welcome.