Elpis Foundation - Milan, Italy

Project: The new headquarters of Fondazione Elpis, established in 2020 by entrepreneur and collector Miriam Nissim, supports emerging young talents through temporary exhibitions, workshops, site-specific installations, and projects spread throughout the country. The renovation project, carried out by the architecture firm Gio Latis, was conceived with a conservative approach to preserve the building’s industrial nature and its strong historical identity, reusing its original materials wherever possible. 

Serving as both backdrop and stage for works by artists from around the world is Micro Flat: the new version of Isoplam’s decorative Microverlay surface, created using a process of two special cement-based mixtures with different grain sizes. The visual impact stands out for a texture with light and dark nuances typical of hand-crafted finishes, guiding visitors along the 800 square meters of Fondazione Elpis with a pleasant visual continuity across the gallery spaces. Micro Flat was chosen in a taupe color with a matte finish to cover the ground floor, the sinuous white steel interior staircase, and the staircase leading to the basement—key elements linking the building’s three levels.

As a striking architectural feature, the staircase plays a central role in the project. Fondazione Elpis needed to ensure aesthetic continuity between floors and steps without overloading the structure with solid cementitious material. The choice of Microverlay® microcement allowed the desired effect to be achieved with only 3 mm of thickness, maintaining both lightness and strength. To meet construction deadlines and structural requirements, the steps were made of MDF wood—a lightweight material—and delivered pre-shaped to the Isoplam workshop. There, they were coated with Micro Flat, then assembled and installed on site, achieving a uniform and flawless result perfectly integrated with the surrounding surfaces.

Color: taupe

Finish: matte

Location and year: Complesso Horti, Milan – 2022

Project: Arch. Giovanna Latis 

Photo: © Adriano Pecchio