Open, Green and Transparent

For more than 60 years, a gas production plant shaped the industrial identity of Milano’s Bovisa district. After its closure in 1994, the 18-hectare site was sealed off and gradually transformed into a dense, spontaneous urban forest - a remarkable example of ecological succession on former industrial ground.

Today, this hidden woodland is entering a new phase. As part of the expansion of the Politecnico di Milano, led by Renzo Piano Building Workshop and supported by the City of Milano, the site will be reopened and reintegrated into the urban fabric. Soil remediation and land reclamation strategies will form the basis for its safe and sustainable transformation.

This summer semester’s studio focuses on reconnecting the formerly inaccessible forest with the evolving city and the new university extension. Working at the intersection of ecology, infrastructure, and public space, the studio explores how regeneration, remediation, and design can shape a resilient and forward-looking urban landscape.