MILANOFIORI NORTH BUSINESS PARK -

ASSAGO

The entire development will be a self-contained entity covering 218.000 m2 and offers a variety of functions including offices, housing, commercial, retail and leisure facilities, a cinema, and a hotel. 

The seven office buildings along the A7 highway form an iconic ensemble that is visible from afar. They are the most representative part of the Park and constitute the main entrance to the site. The buildings are positioned in such a way that each offers broad views towards the different parts of the Masterplan. While the two central buildings facing the entrance of the metropolitan line tend to create a more urban and vibrant atmosphere, the other five are interspaced at a greater distance, allowing the introduction of large public spaces and gardens between them which contribute to the explicitly green appearance of the Business Park. Soil water recycling for air conditioning, solar panels as well as different materials and building technologies have been used aiming to limit energy consumption to a minimum. 

A conscious choice was made to use materials and construction elements from the near surroundings as much as possible in order to reduce the pollution impact of transportation needs for the great amount of material required. By presenting a dual facade facing a dual reality, the buildings relate with their greater surroundings. On one side, a white facade, with irregular openings and bay windows suggests the exit from Milan towards the rural peripheral areas south of the city. By contrast, a more colorful, vivid and articulated facade represents the entrance to the busy city centre. Volumetric articulation, colors, forms, and materials differ from one building to another, creating a sequence of buildings that are similar conceptually but at the same time show great diversity and individuality, adding a different value to each building. 

At the heart of the Business Park lies the Entertainment and Leisure Square. Vivid, colorful and playful, this modern Italian piazza incorporates different facilities organized around a big square. Restaurants bars, shops and a library all find their place together with a multiplex cinema hosting 10 projection rooms, a modern fitness and spa complex and a hotel of approximately 8.500 m2. 

Photo credits: Erick van Egeraat, Simone Simone, Carlo Magni