Chapman Taylor creating concept for POD (Point of Disclosure) area as part of Aria masterplan design team for Ex Macello, Milan

Chapman Taylor is part of an international design team which has won a competition for a major new mixed-use neighbourhood as part of the urban regeneration of Milan’s Ex Macello district.

The Aria urban design project will create one of the most important social housing projects in Europe, and Chapman Taylor is part of a collaborative project to design and refurbish a former industrial complex of 6,500m² in area, including retained historic buildings such as old tunnels, hangars, warehouses and factories. Aria will be a new, innovative and attractive area for young workers and students.

The site will be home to the new European Institute of Design (IED), with the 30,000m² campus offering capacity for 4,500 students, with a student residence for 600 people placed within the retained former slaughterhouse heritage building on the site.

The IED will sit within the Chapman Taylor-designed POD (Point of Disclosure) area, which will be the new science and art district, entirely dedicated to what are known as the “STEAM” fields (science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics). This vibrant hub will animate the life of the neighbourhood through diverse cultural events and activities. Students and residents will be the new city-makers, helping to ensure Aria’s place as a key new urban destination with a sustainable circular economy design ethos.

The repurposed site will be home to new functions and services, as well as offices, craft workshops, fab-lab, co-working spaces, training and advice amenities for start-ups and retail space.

A unique feature of the sustainable masterplan will be its many “Air Factories”, which will serve to purify the air in indoor environments, filtering atmospheric contaminants through the use of plants and soil. These spaces will be meeting places for community groups and others who live in or near the neighbourhood.

Aria will be the first Carbon Negative Area in Milan thanks to a supply of thermal and cooling energy to the entire district as well as high-efficiency power supplied through innovative ectogrid™ technology and photovoltaics. The buildings in the Aria development will target LEED Gold accreditation for sustainability, with the masterplan designed to achieve LEED Cities & Communities certification and a high ReSMART Index score.

The lead partner on this project is REDO SGR Società Benefit, working alongside IED (Istituto Europeo di Design), CA Ventures, E.ON, Deltaecopolis and CCL. Snøhetta Oslo is Lead Architect, with the architectural team including Barreca & La Varra, Stantec, CZA Cino Zucchi Architetti (for the IED Campus), Chapman Taylor, Mpartner and Fondazione Housing Sociale.

Other partners on the Aria project are: Prof. Mario Motta for Fondazione Politecnico di Milano, Prof. Marco Filippi, Prof. Stefano Mancuso for PNAT, Deloitte, MIC Mobility-in-Chain, Planet Smart City, GaiaGo, LifeGate, Cresme Ricerche, LAMA Società Cooperativa – Impresa Sociale, Fondazione Don Gino Rigoldi, Edoardo Tresoldi, ènostra, Amici di Edoardo, The FabLab, Festival della Scienza, Eatour, Electreon, Mare Culturale Urbano abd Giacimenti Urbani.

Architect Vittorio Caponetto is leading Chapman Taylor's team on this project.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this innovative, sustainable and exciting masterplan on winning the design competition. We look forward to seeing the project progress in the coming months!

* GGIs courtesy of Wolf Visualizing Architecture.