Piazzale Lugano | Urban Housing Project

Politecnico di Milano, Polytechnic University of Milan, School of Design

Project idea

The site- The proposal intends to create urban spaces that promote public interaction and community living. Through the crucial triangular plot that becomes the link between the two green spaces/parks can definitely transform into a unit that turns itself into a symbol of togetherness and epitome of community living while enjoying every bit of modern amenities and facilities at the doorstep.

It impacts the neighbourhood in a positive way as it connects the scattered green spaces into one connected whole while at the same time the apartment complex itself also uses sustainable facade systems to create ever-changing elevation patterns along with optimising daylight in the interiors. The sunken plaza acts as a private activity zone for the residents that also connects the two green plazas and the park into one long green corridor.

Following an extremely site-specific approach, the public area has been intentionally hidden beneath the piazza, accessed by passing between two residential blocks. A livable space with access to everything that inhabitants could need will raise the quality and give a new life to the neighbourhood.

Project description

Context- Piazzale Lugano housing project is all about prioritising public spaces. In the site area, located near Bovisa, Milan, Italy, parks and buildings have started to remain vacant & unused due to the lack of high quality interesting & safe public spaces which would attract the people to spend live, work or invest in there.

The proposal is to create a complex consisting of two residential towers with public plazas surrounded by shops and service areas. The shape and intriguing forms of the buildings invite the users to take a look at what's going on inside those public spaces.

The plaza has been designed in a way (sunken) that it provides the required privacy to the residents and users alike while providing high-end services at the spot. One can also easily access the closest park- Piazzale Lugano through the underground passage underneath the road.

In hopes of transforming the site into more of a “dynamic town square,” the new plaza design will be centred on a multipurpose outdoor stage, which will act as a “site for visitor engagement.”

Technical information

The structure has been carefully designed with regular grids and much attention has been given for providing vertical means of circulation within 30 meters with lifts and separate fire escape staircases.

The plan has been designed in such manner that it maximises the inflow of sunlight with the longer facades facing the south, along with balconies to increase the flow of fresh air in the interiors.

The facade design has been specially designed to allow the user to regulate the ingress of sunlight as required by putting separate rails that helps in moving the perforated frames.

Another highlight of the proposal is the Sunken Plaza, that links the piazza to the park. This plaza aims to provide modern facilities like anchor shops, gyms, restaurants etc. bringing more people in the neighbourhood and promoting a sense of place and belonging as well.

Co-authors

Yuhang Lin (China) Politecnico di Milano