When it comes to architecture, Audemars Piguet is a brand usually associated with regal palaces, historical mansions or grand pied-à-terres in Paris. But for the location of its latest AP House in Milan, the watch brand has chosen to welcome VIP clients to a multi-storey car park. This is not just any old car park though.
Built in 1939, Garage Traversi is a protected icon of Italian architecture and a cherished landmark for the Milanese people. Italy’s first ever multi-storey car park closed in 2003 because larger modern cars could no longer fit in its tight spaces. A fine example of Rationalist architecture, Garage Traversi lay abandoned until 2020 when Audemars Piguet acquired it and began its renovation.
The result is spectacular. Part lounge, part sales boutique, part museum, the 1,600 square metre space stretches across five floors and is crowned by a rooftop garden with views of Milan’s famous Duomo and the golden Madonnina perched on its highest spire.
General manager of AP in Italy, Andrea Cardillo says, “Garage Traversi is a very important building, both for Italian architecture and the people of Milan. We started the AP House project in 2017 and have 20 houses around the world, but this Milan location is the largest and takes the concept to the next level.”
Shelves filled with AP books, walls lined with contemporary art, a Steinway piano, plump sofas and luxurious rugs welcome clients who can relax in any of the discreet lounges to view new timepieces and talk to AP consultants about their watch collections. A set of DJ decks and a carousel of vinyl records hint at how the house can host parties in the evening. “This is a place where we celebrate art, music, gastronomy and watchmaking,” adds Cardillo. “We want to bring a forward-thinking perspective to this space and connect AP’s aesthetic code with the design heritage of Milan.”
The house on Via Bagutta near Milan’s Via Monte Napoleone and its high-end fashion boutiques was created by Lissoni & Partners, an architecture and interior design studio based in Milan and New York. Designers from the firm visited AP’s manufacture in Le Brassus in Switzerland to seek inspiration. Piero Lissoni explains, “It’s a hybrid space that could be a home and a club, a place to read books and enjoy culture and food. A place to discover watches, but not always and not only. Above all, it’s a place inspired by Milan and its history.”
One of the highlights of the house – apart from the Audemars Piguet coffee machine – are the historical watches on display that have been lent by the AP museum in Le Brassus. A 2022 Royal Oak concept watch, a 2009 Royal Oak Offshore Monte Napoleone chronograph, a pocket watch from 1916, and a rectangular jumping hours Art Deco piece from 1929 are some of the rare watches visitors can admire.
“AP House is not a transactional place,” says AP’s newly-installed CEO Ilaria Resta. “It’s a mini museum where we can engage in conversation with clients and share our history, our passion for music and art and spread the word of watchmaking. It’s a home.”