The urban redevelopment of Piazzale Cadorna was promoted by the City of Milan and Ferrovie Nord (now Trenord) on the occasion of the inauguration of the Malpensaexpress line, which connects the station with Malpensa International Airport. The project has two objectives: the redevelopment of the square itself, on the one hand, and the restyling of the Cadorna station façade, which dates back to the 1950s (post-war reconstruction project by Renzo Zavanella 1954-1955). The priority is to resolve the chaotic situation of pedestrian and vehicular traffic flows (public and private) around the square. Architect Gae Aulenti reorganises a new roundabout, an opportunity to install an urban sculpture: “Needle, thread and knot ” by Claes Oldenburg and Coosje Bruggen, made of stainless steel and fibreglass, installed in 2000. The work was created as a symbol of working Milan and Milan as the capital of fashion. With much irony, Gae Aulenti responded to the criticism: “Milan is full of squares, even less beautiful ones, on which to make comments”. The square is then redesigned by covering the façade of the Palazzo delle Nord, a second skin, descending into the square creating a series of canopies, transit spaces partially covering the square and a small volume dedicated to commercial services. In this way the significance of the square as a public place that it had lost has been redefined. The lighting design uses an indirect lighting system. A series of luminaires with fan-shaped light emission positioned in the metal beams of the canopies, with direct light on the screen-printed part of the glass roof, provide adequate illuminance values on the walking surfaces and a good view on the vertical planes. The luminaire, made of cast aluminium, is fitted with an optic that provides a special blade of light emission to control glare and dispersion. The image of the illuminated glass windows is also reproduced on the three levels of the building’s façade, creating, even at night, a strong moment of unity. In Milan, architect Piero Castiglioni is involved in many lighting projects involving exterior architecture, such as: the Portello Area, Garibaldi Complex – Porta Nuova, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele.
Collaborations:
Gae Aulenti Associated
Photo Courtesy:
Agostini e Simion
Year:
1999
