bjarke ingels group begins construction on sagging citywave building in milan

BJARKE INGELS’ OFFICE OF THE FUTURE

as part of the existing citylife district in milan, bjarke ingels group begins construction on its sweeping ‘citywave’ building. the project will host a new office space for the ever-evolving italian city, and will become an iconic element of the area’s regeneration efforts, with its gestural and high-tech roof structure. the project will mark the fourth building of the site, which already contains towers by zaha hadid architects, daniel libeskind, and arata isozaki.

here, the team aims to introduce an improved quality of life along with sustainable building. upon its completion, ‘citywave’ will seek to represent the workplace of future.

images courtesy of bjarke ingels group / BIG

the high-tech roof structure

formerly dubbed ‘the portico,’ bjarke ingels group’s citywave building in milan was designed to ‘complete not compete’ with its iconic neighbors. it is characterized as two separate structures physically linked by a sweeping roof. this curved surface doubly serves to enclose a large public plaza and is clad in an array of photovoltaic panels, highlighting the commitment toward a sustainably powered future. 

with the roof’s monumental size, the team at bjarke ingels group notes that it might even be the largest urban integrated solar canopy in europe — estimated to produce an annual 1,200-megawatt hours of power.

image © beauty & the bit

the two buildings of citywave

bjarke ingels group’s citywave building is at once low, respectful, and monumental. while the three existing towers are already well known in the area, the team recognizes the impact of introducing one or two additional towers. instead, the low ‘east’ and ‘west’ buildings and their connective roof create a new threshold. the project embraces the site rather than attempting to rise above it. 

the taller ‘west’ citywave building rises just 21 floors above the ground. meanwhile, the shorter ‘east’ building rises only eleven floors. 

beyond zero impact

the team at BIG notes that the citywave building will stand as the first office building to ‘go beyond zero impact.’ this means that it will be exclusively powered by renewable sources. together with its massive array of photovoltaic panels, the roof structure will also allow for the collection and reuse of rainwater, while the buildings will be integrated with the thermal use of groundwater. bjarke ingels group’s citywave is expected to consume 45% less energy than the typical office space through the use of these environmentally-sustainable solutions.

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project info:

project title: citywave building

architecture: bjarke ingels group / BIG

location: citylife district, milan, italy

status: construction begins september 2021