MAD Architects led by Ma Yansong, unveiled renderings of the MoLo, short for Mobility and Logistic hub, a new gateway situated along the western boundary of the Milano Innovation District (MIND). In collaboration with Architect Andrea Nonni, Open Project, and Progeca, the 28.5 meters high complex brings together several facilities across 68,700sqm of surfaces. Designed as an integration of nature and architecture, the MoLo “performs as a welcoming entrance and education space for issues related to mobility in which visitors can drop off their cars to explore the district on foot and see innovative transportation technology in person”.
The latest of many projects MAD has designed in Europe, MoLo “weaves innovative function with cutting edge technology and striking form to demonstrate what the future holds for transportation systems in urban centers around the world”.
Encompassing seven levels above ground and one underground, the hub includes 3000 square meters of commercial space on the ground floor, as well as laboratories, offices, and a supermarket. Centered on a five-story parking structure that takes on 1,500 vehicles, the project is, in fact, “a gateway for those arriving from the Rho municipality and other main routes along the western half of Milano Innovation District – MIND”. Expected to begin construction in September 2022, the infrastructure development that borders two municipalities dissolves the urban separation through a public interchange tunnel, while an open gallery seeks to physically connect the MoLo to the nearby Rho-Arese park.
Aligned with the new district’s commitment to sustainability and 21st-century technological innovations, the project will take on a lush green façade, blending into the verdant landscaping of its surroundings while capturing airborne carbon. Moreover, the complex assembled within a prefabricated concrete frame structure in accordance with the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) method will be developed in accordance with the green building certification program LEED. A Photovoltaic field of panels spanning more than eight thousand square meters on the upper surfaces will act as an abundant source of renewable energy for the surrounding district.
MoLo (Mobility and Logistic hub), Milan, Italy
- Architectural designer: MAD Architects
- Project leader and project manager: Architetto Andrea Nonni
- Executive architecture, engineeing, coordination and LEED: Open Project srl
- Structural and MEP engineering, Acoustics, LEED: Progeca srl
- Principal Partners in Charge: Ma Yansong, Dang Qun, Yosuke Hayano
- Associate Partners in Charge: Andrea d’Antrassi
- Design Team: Romina Carpentieri , Alessandro Fisalli, Paolo Pirri, Francesco Nardacci, Aldo Schirripa Spagnolo, Francesco Pasta, Anna Spaggiari, Elena Bellocchio
