ZARA BOCCONI

Located at 189 Via del Corso, in the heart of Rome’s historic city center, the Palazzo Bocconi is one of the most emblematic commercial buildings of the late 19th century. With over 5,000 square meters distributed across five floors, this historic ZARA flagship store integrates its latest store concept within a building of high architectural and cultural value.

The intervention combines the preservation of original architectural elements —such as the central atrium, cast-iron columns, and existing ornamental features— with an interior design approach based on noble materials, bespoke furniture, and tailored retail solutions, aligned with the brand’s new boutique language.

On the exterior, the façade has been updated through the refurbishment of the store entrance and the intervention on the building’s monumental windows, replacing the existing panels with large-format glazing equipped with a motorized smoke-ventilation opening system, improving safety and operational performance while preserving the architectural expression of the palazzo.

Inside, a double-sided textile wall runs through the central void between the escalator and the pedestrian staircase, reinforcing the vertical reading of the building and the spatial relationship between its different levels. This architectural gesture is complemented by the self-checkout areas, executed in wood, black lacquered steel, and Krion, reinforcing the boutique concept of the project and contributing to a coherent material language throughout the space.

The intervention is completed with the relocation and adaptation of the HVAC systems, integrated through bespoke construction solutions that allow their discreet incorporation within the existing architecture, as well as the execution of metal carpentry elements and premium finishes in line with the project’s refined design approach.

This reopening follows KIMAK’s recent intervention at ZARA Palazzo Verospi, also in Rome, consolidating two benchmark retail spaces in historically and architecturally significant locations in the Italian capital.

 *Photos courtesy of ZARA