Bicocca Pavilion

In Milan’s Bicocca district, the Bicocca Pavilion rises in the courtyard of the former Siemens complex, designed by Vittorio Gregotti in the 1990s and now undergoing a major regeneration project by Piuarch. This nearly circular structure contrasts with the site's rigid layout, introducing an architectural language that blends harmoniously with the new surrounding natural landscape. Spanning 1450 sqm across two above-ground floors and one underground, the Pavilion is conceived as a flexible space for hybrid uses, promoting new ways of experiencing urban environments.

The aim was to start a regeneration process of the entire existing complex, creating a green and attractive landscape within the courtyard and opening it to the neighborhood by introducing new functions. Located in the re-naturalized courtyard, the Pavilion plays a key role in this transformation despite its small size compared to the monumental scale of the complex. A small architecture that acts as a catalyst for rebirth, a contemporary seed activating new relationships. Thanks to its flexible structure, it hosts activities encouraging collaboration among people, between public and private sectors and between universities and businesses. The ground floor open to the public, includes a café, a talk arena and a bike repair shop; the first floor dedicated to startups and companies, hosts offices, meeting rooms and shared spaces; the basement houses an auditorium and meeting rooms. Through its welcoming design, the Pavilion fosters human relationships and drives innovation and research.

The Pavilion features a free, almost circular shape that reflects the variety of functions housed inside. The structure is characterized by a lightweight envelope with slender, staggered, and inclined perimeter pillars, creating a sense of movement and ideally recalling the organic layout of the new natural courtyard landscape. The circular roof, equally light, is green-covered: from above, the pavilion visually dissolves into the landscape, strengthening its sense of place. The central volume has a ventilated façade that, through the alternating play of semi-reflective metal aluminum panels and transparent glass, offers a dynamic and changing image of the Pavilion. On one side, it reflects the new surrounding vegetation; on the other, it lets natural light filter in for optimal interior illumination, blurring the boundaries between inside and outside. The Bicocca Pavilion has earned LEED Platinum, WELL Gold, and BREEAM Very Good certifications.