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Steel Structures and Green Spaces Reconnecting Milan's Historic Canals

Author:
Maurizio Monti
Steel Structures and Green Spaces Reconnecting Milan's Historic Canals

Project in-detail

The integration of steel structures with expansive green spaces revitalizes Milan's historic canals, enhancing accessibility and community interaction while preserving the area's cultural heritage.
5 key facts about this project
01
The project reopens the historically significant Navigli canals for community use.
02
Green spaces are integrated to promote biodiversity and leisure activities.
03
Steel structures provide durability while enhancing the infrastructure's resilience.
04
Enhanced pedestrian and cycling pathways improve accessibility across the area.
05
Guastalla Garden is revitalized to enrich public engagement and educational opportunities.

The New Navigli System in Milan aims to bring new life to the city's historic canals. This initiative focuses on improving connections between essential public spaces such as the university, parks, and healthcare facilities. Its design concept seeks to promote sustainable urban development while fostering social interaction and accessibility, ensuring the Navigli canals remain a vital part of everyday life.

Site Condition Analysis

A comprehensive site condition analysis highlights several challenges within the urban landscape. Issues include limited pedestrian and cycling routes as well as insufficient visibility of the university and nearby park. By addressing these challenges, the project seeks to enhance the urban atmosphere. The approach focuses on connecting different elements in the city and encouraging community engagement through thoughtful design.

Integration with Key Public Spaces

The Via Francesco Sforza area serves as a critical point in this design. It contains important public buildings, including the Polyclinic Hospital and various educational institutions. Reopening this section of the Navigli is essential for reshaping the urban identity of Milan. By improving access to these spaces, the design aims to promote interactions among different user groups, creating a more welcoming environment.

Guastalla Garden Valorization

The valorization of Guastalla Garden plays a significant role in the overall project. This historic public garden is reviewed to enhance its layout and functions while maintaining its historical importance. The redesign introduces educational spaces and areas for relaxation, making the garden more appealing to visitors. This effort seeks to ignite public interest in this significant green space within the city.

Interconnected Pathways and Accessibility

The design emphasizes creating interconnected pathways to improve pedestrian movement and support various activities. These pathways are strategically placed to encourage social interaction and ease of travel between different areas. With an emphasis on accessibility, the project aims to enhance the usability of the urban environment for all.

The design incorporates specific materials to serve both functional and aesthetic purposes. Steel structures provide protection along the Naviglio, ensuring durability. Laminated glass enhances safety features, while porcelain stoneware slabs are chosen for their sustainable qualities. These choices reflect a commitment to modern urban design that respects the historical context of Milan.

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MICROHOME 10: Celebrating Small-Scale Living with €100,000 Prize Fund and Kingspan’s Innovation

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Competition organisers

The MICROHOME 10 competition invites participants to submit visionary designs for off-grid, modular microhomes that push the limits of sustainable, small-scale living. Organised by Buildner in partnership with Kingspan and Hapi Homes, this tenth edition sets the challenge of designing a dwelling for two people within a maximum floor area of 25 m², encouraging bold solutions adaptable to any urban or rural location. The competition continues Buildner’s mission to foster innovative approaches to compact, energy-efficient housing that can address pressing global challenges.

This year’s edition offers a generous total prize fund of €100,000, including the Kingspan Award for designs that integrate high-performance Kingspan products and the Hapi Homes Award for a project selected for real-world construction. In addition to cash prizes, the winners gain international exposure through Buildner’s media partnerships, publications, and a dedicated MICROHOME magazine, further amplifying their ideas to the wider architectural community.

Key dates for MICROHOME 10 include the closing date for registration on 25 September 2025, the submission deadline on 29 October 2025 (11:59 p.m. London time), and the announcement of winners on 9 December 2025. These milestones ensure participants have clear timelines to develop and present their concepts, with early registration discounts available to support students and emerging designers worldwide.

MICROHOME

Design a new small-scale home concept in the 10th edition of MICROHOME — 100,000 € prize + construction

100,000 € Prize Fund / Kingpsan Edition #10 ideas COMPETITION
Prize 100,000 € + Potential realisation
Eligibility Open to all
Final registration deadline 25 September 2025

Enter an open architecture
competition now

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Buildner's Unbuilt Award 2025
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