In 2009 Stefano Boeri won the tender announced by NTV, a private Italian operator on the high speed rail network to create the new service centres for Casa Italo travellers.
The project involves the construction of 12 branches in 9 Italian cities; the first centre was created in the lower section of the Milan Porta Garibaldi station. Starting from the concept of an innovative service centre, the studio interpreted Casa Italo as a place of transit, of passage in which the most different needs and desires of travellers can be satisfied. Looking critically at the evolution of the way people travel around the world, Boeri developed  a design with its characteristic stylistic signature, creating an extremely versatile and flexible place with a welcoming and light-filled atmosphere.

The service centres have specifically been designed to provide maximum comfort for users, letting them enjoy new experiences and making travel easier. The concept provides direct connections between time of stay, uses, customizable spaces and dedicated services, expressed through areas with fluid forms and technological environments.

The open space of Casa Italo is divided into different areas, separated only in terms of perception, since the dominant geometric figure of the whole project is the circle. The different spaces are configured as circular islands, each with its own function from the info point counter to the circular seats that outline the relaxation area, to the areas with tables designed for the use of personal computers and Wi-Fi, plus the tables equipped with fixed computers made available to customers. All the furnishings are made of Corian and leather to ensure maximum resistance to wear and tear of the work tops while the surfaces visible to travellers are physically transformed into interactive and communicative interfaces that define the space of the station.

On a colour level, the structure is predominantly neutral with the exception of the furnishings highlighted by shades of red which recall the colour used by Italo both in its advertising and in all areas of the company for a unique brand identity.
The fully equipped modular perimeter wall is covered with sheets of glass created using layers of mirrored film on an 8 mm thick sheet of satin finish extra-clear float glass. The sheets are anchored with a system that guarantees both the necessary seal and at the same time inspection of the technological devices contained in the various modules of the wall. The following worked together with Stefano Boeri: the 46xy studio on the graphic design, Salottobuono on the architectural project, Ferrari & Brocajoli SRL for the plant design and Cassina Contract as contractor.