Porta Nuova Ex Varesine – Milan

The largest urban redevelopment ever carried out in the heart of Milan has been done in Porta Nuova. The project involved a former abandoned area of about 290,000 square meters that had been degraded for about 50 years. The intervention covers three neighborhoods: Garibaldi, Varesine and Isola.

The object of the landscaping intervention is to create a large park with the design of hardscape and softscape areas for internal courtyards and main paths. The project conveys a message of sustainability and has as a strategic objective, in addition to the redevelopment of public space through the creation of public squares and pedestrian paths and gardens, to to connect the history and identity of the three neighborhoods involved and, above all, to make the area an attractive hub, a meeting point for the people of Milan.

The project, in addition to having a fundamental urbanistic importance – as it connects different neighborhoods in Milan – also has social importance, because it has proven to be a much-loved area for the citizens who flock to it every day.

Specifically, the project connects two squares through a wide promenade flanked by a vast roof garden, the Maple Garden. The outdoor landscaping design is organized in such a way as to unite the buildings with the surrounding urban spaces, particularly with the commercial and residential areas and the public park.

The following systems were used for the green works: intensive turf, intensive tree and extensive shrub tapestry, all on the continuous drainage device. In non-flat areas, intensive sloped system with perennial grasses was used.

Thanks to the Harpo verdepensile system, perfectly integrated with the constructed environment, urban green spaces result in this grandiose landscape project as an integral and active part of the city itself, transforming this area of Milan into a simple, green and comfortable city.