Introduction
Buildner is pleased to announce the results of the Milan Navigli Canal Challenge!
Participants were tasked with conceiving the Milan of the future by envisioning a symbiotic relationship between the city and its historic Navigli canal. Projects were asked to focus on environmental aspects of design for improved urban sustainability - friendly design, mobility, and the relationships between water and urban spaces.
The Milan Navigli Canal Challenge was run in collaboration with Riaprire i Navigli Association – "Reopen the Navigli Association'' – and Primitivo studio Milan, who are proposing a complete renovation of the existing canal. The goal of these groups is to create a new way for the city to operate, with competition entries performing as a potential means to inspiring the general public.
Buildner worked with a fantastic regional and international jury to evaluate entries received from around the globe: James Biber, an architect and partner of Biber Architects, based in New York, which has completed projects including the USA Pavilion for Expo Milano 2015; Grazia Comai is a Senior Landscape Architect at London-based Townshend Landscape Architects and is a registered landscape architect with over ten years’ experience working on a diverse range of public realm projects; Carola Enrich, a Senior Associate also of Townshend Landscape Architects; Samista Jugwanth is an Associate at Zutari, with over a decade of experience in engineering design in public infrastructure, commercial and industrial projects, project management and construction management in Africa; Silvana Ordinas, Founder and Partner of Peter Pichler Architecture, based in Milan, a studio that has completed projects such as the Future Space Pavilion for the 2018 Salone del mobile in Milan; Lukas Rungger, a founder of noa* network of architecture, based in Bolzano, Italy and Berlin, Germany; Sean Shen, a lead architect at Shanghai-based ZJJZ Atelier; and Rituparna Simlai is the founding principal of Studio Arth, a Landscape Architecture design firm based in Coconut Grove, Miami.
Buildner and its jury thank all participants and congratulate the winning submissions for their refreshing and outstanding ideas and work!
We sincerely thank our jury panel
for their time and expertise
Grazia Comai
Townshend Landscape Architects
United Kingdom
Carola Enrich
Townshend Landscape Architects
United Kingdom
Lukas Rungger
noa* network of architecture
Italy
Silvana Ordinas
Founder and Partner, Peter Pichler Architecture
Italy
Rituparna Simlai
Principal of Studio Arth LLC
USA
Samista Jugwanth
Technical director
Zutari
James Biber
Biber Architects
USA
Sean Shen
architect at ZJJZ Atelier
China
1st Prize Winner
RE-CONNECT: Re-opening the Navigli for Milan
We participate in competitions to get out of the comfort zone. Competitions are always good opportunities to learn about other places and to extend our knowledge. They are challenging ourselves with contemporary issues and new ideas all over the world.
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Reconnect proposes a network of superblocks where the car is only facilitated on a handful of primary arteries, where a ‘downgraded road network’ yields additional green and pedestrian space. The new ring structure brings new potential for the city’s bio system and new ways to experience the city, by providing additional social and quieter spaces to the urban fabric.
2nd Prize Winner
NAVIGLI WATER STORIES
For us, architecture competitions are a challenge and an opportunity to understand different contexts, cultures, landscapes and societies. We develop them with the aim of acquiring experiences through the process of creating and conceptualizing ideas.
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Resurgence provides new mobility networks along with a green ring that accompanies the canal. It proposes to bring people closer to nature with a park that extends from the canal that hosts a litany of new public programs. The jury writes: “Resurgence presents an ephemeral and dynamic landscape design integrated into the resurgence of the canal. This proposal is very well resolved with simple legible and well-articulated graphics.
3rd Prize Winner +
BUILDNER SUSTAINABILITY AWARD
BUILDNER SUSTAINABILITY AWARD
Revamping the Artery of Milan
Here at Hortian Consultancy, we are constantly looking for opportunities to challenge ourselves, and to test ideas for its novelty and feasibility. By participating in architecture competition, we can also expand our view and perception on how different solutions are considered by different culture and society.
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Revamping the Artery of Milan proposes a three-way approach through infrastructural overhaul along the canal, enhancement of greenery, and lifestyle change. Likening the current situation to a ‘disease’, it aims to enrich the city through healthy changes and cutting down on bad habits. The jury writes: “Eco-urban renaissance is a great approach for the city.
ARCHHIVE STUDENT AWARD
Ride with the Flow
I think architecture competitions provide chance for me to explore new things and challenge myself.
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Client Favorite
Galleria dei Navigli
We participate in architecture competitions because they provide a democratic instance for projects development. At the same time they give us the opportunity to learn, experiment and apply innovative solutions.
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