Piazzale Loreto, Milano
Italy
The Community at the Center
Piazzale Loreto is the winning project of a C40 Reinventing Cities competition — promoted by the city of Milan, transforming a former traffic hub into a vibrant, green open-air public square. A permeable and protected space designed to bring nature and people back to the center of urban life.
The project aims to heal the urban and social divide between the southern side of Milan — along Corso Buenos Aires — and the northern districts of NoLo, Via Padova, and Viale Monza, creating a new seamless connection and redefining the identity of the area.
Client
Nhood Services Italy S.p.A.
Geography
Status
Year
2021
Area Size
2,4 ha
Lead Consultant
Arcadis Italia
Partners
Metrogramma, Studio Andrea Caputo, MIC-HUB, Manens S.p.A., SIST Studlo Ingegnerla Strutturale, Temporiuso, Squadrati (competition phase only), IGPDecaux, Siemens, Helexia Italia, Alchema.
The Community at the Center
Piazzale Loreto is the winning project of a C40 Reinventing Cities competition — promoted by the city of Milan, transforming a former traffic hub into a vibrant, green open-air public square. A permeable and protected space designed to bring nature and people back to the center of urban life.
The project aims to heal the urban and social divide between the southern side of Milan — along Corso Buenos Aires — and the northern districts of NoLo, Via Padova, and Viale Monza, creating a new seamless connection and redefining the identity of the area.
Client
Nhood Services Italy S.p.A.
Geography
Status
Year
2021
Area Size
2,4 ha
Lead Consultant
Arcadis Italia
Partners
Metrogramma, Studio Andrea Caputo, MIC-HUB, Manens S.p.A., SIST Studlo Ingegnerla Strutturale, Temporiuso, Squadrati (competition phase only), IGPDecaux, Siemens, Helexia Italia, Alchema.
©Courtesy of Nhood
©Courtesy of Nhood
©Courtesy of Nhood
©Courtesy of Nhood
©Courtesy of Nhood
Nature is the essence of the project: a living, dynamic element that reclaims the urban space and creates a thriving ecosystem for the entire community. At its core rises the Sky Forest, a powerful green landmark and the symbolic heart of Piazzale Loreto. Featuring 23 Quercus palustris trees and layered, multi-functional spaces, it encourages pause and social interaction, and opens up fresh views over the square and the surrounding cityscape.
LAND, responsible for the design of the green areas, brings its international expertise deeply rooted in biophilic design principles, with a strong focus on urban biodiversity, sustainable water management, and ecological connectivity between Milan’s urban fabric and its peri-urban parks.
Office
People
Elena GalassiElena AsteDavide CaspaniAndreas KiparAndrea BulloniLorenzo PirosaFrancesco TodeschiniGiuliano Garello Mariangela Cerone, Ida Orlando, Ilario Chirulli, Lorenzo Bucciarelli, Lucrezia Picinali, Amir Masoumi, Nicholas Rafti
Typology
BIMUrban regeneration & developmentStrategic masterplanning at all scales
Green Implementation
・3 780 m² of green area
・138 new trees
・4 920 m² permeable and semi-permeable areas
・20% area converted from impermeable surfaces to green, permeable, or semi-permeable spaces
・31.4 tons/year of CO2 sequestration through nature
Soft Mobility and Energy
・10 385 m² shared pedestrian and bicycle surfaces
・80 bicycle parking spaces (including 10 dedicated to BikeMI bike sharing)
・1 736 m² of photovoltaic high-efficiency panels, with an estimated total annual output of 384.5 MWh
Area of intervention
・2,4 ha of dedicated public space, of which 12 000 m² of plazas distributed across 3 levels
・Reduction of the driveway surface by 50%
Related projects
Technical Framework “Environment–Climate–Climate Change”, Rosenheim
Technical Framework “Environment–Climate–Climate Change”, Rosenheim
