Politecnico di Milano’s new Architecture campus has reinvigorated the entire Città Studi district
Designed by Ottavio Di Blasi and based on an idea by Renzo Piano, Politecnico di Milano’s new Architecture campus is the result of the reorganization of the institution’s complex in Via Bonardi, which has been transformed into a modern urban campus. The project involved the construction of three new buildings, the restoration of two existing ones designed by Gio Ponti – the Trifoglio and the Nave – and the creation of outside areas with abundant trees and green spaces. The interiors have also been overhauled to ensure maximum flexibility, with modular tables custom designed by Ottavio Di Blasi & Partners (ODB).
The concept of “healing” urban environments underpins all of Ottavio Di Blasi’s work and is fully expressed in his design of Politecnico di Milano’s Architecture campus. The restoration project, which involved the complete reorganization of the Via Bonardi complex, was based on an idea that Renzo Piano included in a series of drawings that were donated to the polytechnic. The concept was later developed by ODB, which put together a project that embodies respect for the historical heritage of the site paired with a modern vision of the university environment. It involved the construction of three new buildings and the restoration of two existing ones, both designed by Gio Ponti and known as the Trifoglio and the Nave. The new buildings have created a “diffused architectural fabric” that complements the historic buildings while creating a permeability between the city and the university that enlivens the entire Città Studi district. It is “an open, international, and trendsetting urban campus,” explains Ottavio Di Blasi, a former student of the polytechnic, as well as both Renzo Piano and Gio Ponti.
The new buildings provide an extra 45,200 square feet (4200 m2) of floorspace, with classrooms accommodating up to 800 students. The façades feature large windows that flood the interior with light, while terraces on top of the two lower buildings can host outdoor activities and events. The heart of the campus is its new physical and virtual modeling lab: an innovative space covering 17,200 square feet (1600 m2) in front of the Trifoglio building. Besides 3D printers and state-of-the-art digital modeling tools, it houses wood- and metalworking machinery. A key part of the project is a treed 86 thousand-square-foot (8000 m2) plaza with benches created from cables intended for outdoor study. This network of footpaths and green areas is open to the city, connecting the campus to the park in Piazza Leonardo da Vinci and to the garden of the Guido Romano swimming pool.
The work on the existing buildings involved reorganizing their interior spaces. A Student Lobby, for example, was created at ground level in the Nave building, while a number of valuable architectural elements that were covered over in the past, such as the coffered concrete ceiling with permanent formwork in the Trifoglio building, were brought back to light. With the exception of one section that has been preserved as a testament to its past, this iconic building has been completely overhauled, with both the stairs and classrooms – which now seat up to two thousand students – rebuilt. The complex has a sense of uniformity created by the connective tissue of its green spaces, as well as the paving of the outdoor areas and the cladding of the new buildings, with all the vertical and horizontal surfaces united by their textured concrete finish, intended to create dialogue with the existing buildings. Inside, a system of modular tables that join together with magnetic joints, also designed by Ottavio Di Blasi, ensures the flexibility and adaptability of both the teaching and study spaces.
Location: Milano
Client: Politecnico di Milano
Completion: 2021
Architect: Ottavio Di Blasi, ODB – Ottavio Di Blasi & Partners
Main Contractor: Consorzio Integra
Consultants
Structures: Milan Ingegneria
MEP: Tekne
Landscape: Studio Giorgetta
Computational Design: Giovanni Lentinu
Acoustics: Dario Paini
Fire Protection: Studio Mistretta
Doors and Windows: Schüco
Sun-shading: Pellini
Photography: © Enrico Cano
All images courtesy of ODB – Ottavio Di Blasi & Partners