INTRODUCTION FIRST AND FOREMOST

Milan is the most populous city in Italy and the country’s main industrial, financial, and commercial center, with Borsa Italiana (Italy’s main stock exchange) and the headquarters of the large national and international banks located in the city. Milan is also a major capital of fashion and design in the world and is well known for several international events and fairs, such as Milan Fashion Week and Milan Design week, to name but a few. In 2015, Milan hosted the Expo 2015, which helped in further stimulating the city’s economy with a number of developments still under construction across the city. Milano Santa Giulia, currently under development and only 15 minutes southeast of Downtown Milan, is a whole new city quarter, and has been called Milan’s most innovative city district of the future.

Milano Santa Giulia, which was known as an area of industrial character since the late 19th century, is located between 2 districts: Rogoredo and Taliedo. In recent decades, these industrial factories either changed their location or have closed, especially Montedison factory and the Redaelli steel mills. Such closure or change in location have left a huge gap in the urban fabric of Santa Giulia. Different reforms and urban regeneration plans were planned for the area, but it wasn’t until developer company Risanamento Spa bought the land and those plans started to become a reality. Risanamento hired an international architecture firm; Fosters & Partners, for the overall concept and masterplan, and the Design International architecture firm were asked as well to design the retail sectors of Milano Santa Giulia which are the commercial and communal center of the new city district.

And that is where our part interferes, following Foster’s master plan proposal, many criteria and critical elements were highlighted and defined in the proposed masterplan. And for this reason, different aspects needed to be re-considered, enhanced, and improved, specially the linking connection between the different zoning areas and interaction between different sectors and their communal effect. Moreover, the main point of our thesis project is Milano’s Santa Giulia Sport Hall, which is designed for Milan’s 2026 Winter Olympics. Our structure was created via extensive study, design, and the various technological components that are integrated into the structure, such as structural design, material selection, and construction efficiency in terms of modularity and sustainability. Follow such order, our thesis is derived and presented in such chronology. Prior to begin with the building’s approach and design, let us explore Milan’s urban history first, to better understand the contextual effect and the role that building plays in the urban context.