STATUS
IN CONSTRUCTION
CLIENT
Generali Real Estate
TYPOLOGY
Work
SIZE M2/FT2
73,000 / 785,765
SHARE
CityWave’s two office buildings are connected by a new public park and a sweeping 140-m-long roof clad entirely in photovoltaic tiles – one of the largest urban rooftop solar installations in the world. The topping out, celebrated during Salone del Mobile Milano, marks a significant milestone in the evolution of one of Europe’s most ambitious redevelopment projects.
Designed by BIG–Bjarke Ingels Group with Atelier Verticale, CityWave is constructed on the last two plots of the CityLife masterplan, a major new business district in a prestigious area of Milan, within walking distance from the Duomo. The building is set to complete in 2026.
THE FIERA AXIS
— CityLife is located on the former site of Fiera Milano. The fair's primary axis, called Domodossola Axis, was the main pedestrian walkway to the pavilions dividing the site diagonally between Largo Domodossola and Piazza Amendola. This axis is maintained in the CityLife masterplan as a visual connection and further enhanced by the underground metro. Our site acts as an entryway to the axis, split in two parts.
TWIN BUILDINGS & AXIS
— Twin buildings were often used in Milan in the 20th century to celebrate the axis as an urban demarcation of entryways. Anchoring both sides of the street, the twin buildings create a sense of grandeur to the axis and are commonly found throughout history, from the Spanish Walla Gates in the 1500s to post-war icons such as the twin buildings of via Turati.
Located on the former Fiera Milano fairgrounds on the northeast side of CityLife, the 73,000-m2 CityWave project is situated alongside buildings by Zaha Hadid, Studio Libeskind, and Arata Isozaki. The project originated from an international competition by Generali Real Estate, which initially called for two towers. Instead, BIG proposed a new typology for the city: a continuous canopy structure that unifies two buildings with interior courtyards divided by a shaded pedestrian plaza at the centre. The buildings – reaching 105 and 53 m respectively – anchor both sides of the street and serve as the gateway to CityLife, replacing the existing car ramps and tunnel that once dominated the entrance. Rather than competing with the surrounding context, CityWave completes it.
“With CityLife, we set ourselves an ambitious goal that we believe we have achieved, that of regenerating and upgrading the area of the Milan Trade Fair, which we have fully restored to the city in a completely renewed form that can be used by everyone. The project of the BIG studio completes the area with a solution that is in line with our values and objectives, a project that we embraced right from the start."
ORIGINAL BRIEF
— An international competition by Generali Real Estate initially called for two towers.
BIG'S PROPOSAL
— Instead, BIG proposed a new typology for the city: a continuous canopy structure that unifies two buildings, divided by a shaded pedestrian plaza at the centre.
SITE
— The site of the competition is comprised of two distinct plots facing each other. The Domodossola axis separates and restricts the buildable area for both plots at the street level, while below ground, the tunnel for the Line 5 metro demarcates the two plots.
PROGRAM
— CityLife Milan includes offices, a podium with shared amenities, and panoramic terraces with a bar and restaurant. We propose splitting the main components of the program into two plots, allocating most of the area in the larger plot. In doing so, we ensure the most efficient vertical circulation, while maximizing amenities on the ground plane. Both plots are activated at their base, with amenities spilling onto the public space at the centre of the axis.
COURTYARD
— Introducing courtyards brings generous daylight and natural ventilation into the buildings and allows for astonishing views over the private gardens. With a depth of 18 m, the office floorplates are extremely efficient and allow for a flexible internal layout.
RELATIONSHIP TO THE AXIS
— To unify the two irregularly shaped plots, we generate two simple curves formed by circles on each side: one created by the end of the axis and the other by Piazza Tre Torri, the epicentre of the site. The geometry of the roof is generated as a wedge of a sphere, resulting in a massing that reads as a single gesture. The profile of the roof emphasizes the axis by lifting up the edges and lowering towards the centre. With this move, we unite the two buildings into a single form. The two buildings reach 105 m and 53 m, respectively, at their highest points.
RELATIONSHIP TO SUNLIGHT
— The resulting building mass optimizes the orientation for each program. The widest facade of the office faces north, ensuring energy efficiency and year-round thermal comfort. The courtyard acts as a filter, softening the light that reaches the south facade.
TERRACES
— A portion of the one tower's closed courtyard is removed to create an outdoor terrace, while a portion of the other tower's courtyard is added back to the massing to enclose the atrium. This creates extraordinary office terraces that visually connect all the amenities, the other building, the three towers, and the entire CityLife park.
THE GIFT
— We propose connecting the two buildings in the non-buildable area with a canopy, joining the two separate buildings into a unified solution. The result forms a generous and spacious public realm for locals and visitors to enjoy the outdoors for more than nine months of the year.
PORTICO
— CityLife Milan is conceived as one entity formed by three parts: the two buildings and the covered public realm, all unified by a colonnade. This represents and pays homage to the classic typology of the portico as an element that connects, gives shade, and protects, echoing the historic grand monasteries or abbeys of Italy. At the central axis, removing the existing concrete ramps and relocating the taxi drop-off stations allows a new park entrance to form at the heart of the public realm.
CityWave’s dramatic timber canopy with steel cables stretches 140 m – longer than a football field. Shaped as a catenary curve, the structure features repeating tension columns that extend to the buildings’ façades, creating a sense of visual continuity. Between the twin buildings, the structure forms a shaded pedestrian plaza situated within a larger public greenspace, becoming a modern homage to the traditional porticos found throughout Italy. Similarly, the glass and upcycled stone exteriors reference the surrounding neighborhood’s stone architecture.
“Milan’s history is defined by twin buildings and grand gateways - architectural markers that shape the city’s fabric. Rather than proposing two towers, we envision two courtyard buildings defined not by their height, but by connection - bridging the scale between the neighborhood and central towers. A sweeping canopy spans the void, serving as a tangible memory of Milan’s historic axis, while a colonnade of slender steel columns transforms the open space into a new public realm for the entire city - dissolving barriers between indoors and outdoors, between buildings and people."
FINAL_B&TB_BIG_MILAN_PHIV_CENTRAL_Credit Beauty and the Bit
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As the first building in Italy to receive WiredScore Platinum certification along with WELL Platinum and LEED Platinum pre-certifications, CityWave supports Milan’s sustainability goals and exemplifies CityLife’s commitment to environmentally conscious practices. Passive strategies like groundwater cooling and thermal energy storage reduce overall energy demand by 30-40% compared to a building of similar size, while the photovoltaic roof maximizes on-site renewable energy generation.
CityWave blurs the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, offering 4,500 m2 of open-air space including internal courtyards and stepped loggias that facilitate natural ventilation, enhance the building’s sense of permeability, and become places of both respite and collaboration during the workday. The shaded loggias culminate in a shared rooftop bar and panoramic terrace on the 20th floor of the tallest tower, with unobstructed views of the Alps and Monte Rosa. Inside, the buildings are designed for health and comfort, with generous ceiling heights of 3.2 m and continuous glass walls that allow daylight to fill the space from both sides.
Bjarke Ingels Andreas Klok Pedersen Florencia Kratsman Francesca Portesine Andy Coward Anna Pazurek Andy Young Beatrice Melli Bjarke Koch-Ørvad Camille Breuil Carl Pettersson Carmen Salas Ruiz Carmen Simone Chris Falla Claire Thomas Spiller Daniel Ferrara Bilesky Duncan Horswill Elisabetta Costa Filip Radu Giulio Rigoni Gualtiero Rulli Ioannis Gio Jason Chee Han Chia Jonathan Russell Kamila Abbiazova Lauren Connell Falla Lorenzo Boddi Marco Antonio Maycotte Nefeli Stamatari Marina Cogliani Marjan Mostavi Matilde Tavanti Michela Cardia Miles Treacy Ming Cheong Parinaz Kadkhodayi-Kholghi Pernille Kinch Andersen Pierre-Edouard Joseph Joiris de Caussin Ryohei Koike Sabina Blasiotti Sijia Zhong Timo Harboe Nielsen Ulla Hornsyld Vincent Katienin Konate William Campion Youngjin Jun Yueying Wan Zuzanna Hanna Sliwinska Siqi Emily Chen Ania Agnieszka Podlaszewska Giulia Frittoli Jakob Freek Engstrom Maria de Salvador Arnaiz Luca Vincenzo Puzzoni Liliana Prevedello Aishe Kokoshi Gianmarco Cannizzo Maayan Raviv Solveig Lola Audrey Jappy Kay Sasiprapakul Air Walanchanurak Andrew McClements Hannah Kopeliovitch Simons Evan Cheng Laura Faloughi Miles Casalotti-Lochore Andra Tai
COLLABORATORS
Atelier Verticale
Manens
Holzner Bertagnolli
Faces
Castiglioni
GAD
AGEP
Systematica
Studio Mistretta & Co
