Concept
Pirelli Japan Headquarters — Translating performance and control into space
Founded in Milan in 1872, Pirelli is a global leader in consumer tyres and a long-standing protagonist of motorsport. The brand’s credo—Power is nothing without control—shapes the new Tokyo headquarters, designed by MB-AA (Matteo Belfiore, Valentina Cannava) as an environment where speed and measure are spatial, not merely graphic.
Language.
Speed is expressed through sinuous geometries, directional cues and narrative lighting; measure is conveyed by restraint, exact proportions and a limited, high-contrast palette anchored in black and Pirelli Yellow. Rather than adding logos, the scheme embeds identity in planning, materials and light. To honour the company’s Italian roots, key furniture and finishes were curated from Italian manufacturers known for technical precision and longevity.
A Curated Arrival.
The visitor sequence—Entrance → Gallery → Lobby → Meeting Rooms—unfolds like a compact brand museum. The entrance reduces the palette to two essentials and welcomes guests with La Cividina’s Osaka in a custom yellow that echoes the logo; an abstract tread pattern on the opposing wall points toward the gallery, while subtle LED “trails” inscribe motion without visual clutter. The gallery is a rotating corridor of content; it opens with historic advertising provided by Fondazione Pirelli, staged on quiet surfaces and controlled light.
The Social Heart.
In the lobby, a painterly Italian tricolour frames a display of P Zero tyres—an immediate focus that bridges heritage and technology. Osaka seating pairs with Ploff tables whose rounded volumes nod to the wheel; a projection wall loops brand films and iconic campaigns. From here, four meeting rooms and a coffee counter are visible, promoting intuitive wayfinding and informal hospitality.
Meeting Suites.
Transparency and precision define the four rooms, each named for a signature tyre. Built with Unifor’s RP partitions (Renzo Piano), they combine slender aluminium profiles with high acoustic performance. Custom Unifor Moodway tables integrate power cleanly; Arper Catifa chairs keep the silhouette light. The largest room carries a graphic statement that extends the brand’s ethos toward responsibility—people, planet and mobility—signalling that performance is measured not only in speed but in social and environmental outcomes.
Workplace Ecology.
The open floor is bright, legible and quietly animated by a flooring layout that creates functional islands—workstations, managers, IT and short-meeting zones. Unifor Flipper benches, customised with legs finished in Pirelli Yellow, consolidate technology and cabling to reduce surface noise. Along the glazed perimeter, touchdown spots maximise daylight; CUF Cortina freestanding leaf-shaped panels temper speech around manager areas. A stand-friendly Creo High bar with Arper Catifa stools supports quick collaboration and acts as an acoustic buffer for the customer-care team. Graphic culture—curated images from the Pirelli Calendar and historic campaigns—appears along movement lines, adding narrative without visual overload.
Employees’ Room / Café.
Set in the most panoramic corner, the staff café frames views to Mount Fuji, Tokyo Tower and the sunset. Pastel tones encourage decompression, while a chequered-flag floor lightly reconnects the space to motorsport heritage. A compact kitchen, skyline counter and sofa corner support lunch, coffee and informal exchanges; a translucent film ensures privacy when in use. A feature wall abstracts the P Zero tread as ambient texture.
Through disciplined choices and flexible settings, the project converts identity into daily experience. Speed becomes a choreography of curves, trajectories and pace; measure becomes clarity, proportion and care. The result is a workplace that welcomes visitors, sustains teams and evolves gracefully—Italian by culture, international by design.
Download here the full Project Description
Please find here the Press Folder containing all the project photos.
