Responses by Parco Studio.

Background: Ten years after the foundation of their architecture studio Laboratorio Permanente in Milan, Nicola Russi and Angelica Sylos Labini decided to create a new image for it. Parco designed its digital space in a way that could be experienced almost physically, a quiet space where you can look for content that feels right for you.

Design core: On the homepage, projects are organized as an archive, a list of contents that are first presented with only the title and a little visual information that gives users the feeling of running a finger down a book’s spine. The visual language is minimal and impactful. Typography clearly communicates the hierarchy of different content and drives users across all of them. The site has a timeless look reminiscent of the Swiss Style with a contemporary twist, portraiting a firm that can be proud of its experience while looking forward to new challenges.

Navigation structure: We created an image-driven experience that shows different stripes of the project archive. The project name, category and intro are shown in the visual profile and then hidden to enable an overview of the whole studio production.

The website portrays a 360-degree contemporary architecture studio by dividing it into two sections: the first about work and projects, and the second about its research for the development of urban planning strategies. The research section collects references and publications for projects. Community and personal history are necessary parts of the process that carries out design and research activities on multiple scales, from architecture to urban planning and interior design.

Special features: The way cards pile up on the homepage and change their thickness depending on the number of content pieces stacked is fluid and essential, an important element of navigation for which we wanted to take special care.

Technology: The website is built using HTML5, CSS and JavaScript, and it runs on a WordPress CMS. We normally approach the design of a website intending to provide our clients with a communication tool, something they can actually use to speak about their practice. This is why we built a modular system that enables Russi and Sylos Labini to edit their work and research and compose their content within a flexible framework. Content can be piled freely according to the specific necessities of each project while preserving the graphic treatment and identity of the digital language.