“Ghost Citadel”: that’s what Deputy Mayor Anna Scavuzzo calls Milan’s former slaughterhouse, which has been decommissioned since 2005. The news is that there is now a plan to breathe new life into it.
On September 3, the City Council adopted the Implementation Plan for ARIA, Milan’s new neighborhood designed for this site: approximately 150,000 square meters between Viale Molise, Via Lombroso, and Via Azzurri d’Italia, next to the Ortomercato.
The City has not provided specific dates for the start of construction, but in the meantime, let’s take a look at what the project entails and how it might change life for the people of Milan.
Milan’s Former Slaughterhouse: The “Food City” of Calvairate
The municipal slaughterhouse was completed by engineer Antonio Cecchi in 1929 and was completely decommissioned in 2005. If you walk along Viale Molise, at numbers 62–70 you’ll find the six Art Nouveau buildings, which once housed offices, the stock exchange, the concierge’s office, and the residence of the city’s food commissioner.
The City has entrusted them to Near SGR, which will be responsible for their redevelopment.
Since December 2020, certain buildings have been designated as sites of cultural interest by the Lombardy Regional Commission for Cultural Heritage: this means they are recognized as cultural assets, and any work on them—including as part of the new project—must be authorized by the Superintendency.
ARIA Master Plan: What the Project That Won the 2021 Reinventing Cities Award Envisions
ARIA stems from Reinventing Cities, the international competition promoted by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group, in which Milan participated by making the area available under a surface rights agreement.
In 2021, the proposal submitted by Near SGR (then Redo SGR) on behalf of the Lombardy Real Estate Fund was selected.
What the redevelopment plan entails: eight new areas, affordable housing, and the first “carbon-negative” city block
Snøhetta (Oslo), Stantec, and Barreca & La Varra collaborated on the redevelopment plan for Milan’s former slaughterhouse. The concept involves rehabilitating certain existing buildings—both those listed as cultural heritage sites and those that are not—and constructing eight new blocks, with buildings no taller than 9–10 stories along Via Lombroso.
It is precisely there that the city’s first “carbon-negative” block is set to be built .
And for the people of Milan: a campus, coworking spaces, and (perhaps) the Accademia della Scala
The City describes it as a neighborhood “tailored to young people.” Among the proposed amenities is the IED campus, which could accommodate 4,500 students in the existing buildings, complete with classrooms, laboratories, and a library.
The Accademia Teatro alla Scala has expressed interest in relocating here.
The plan also includes coworking spaces, workshops, and commercial establishments.
For families, a daycare center and a preschool are planned, covering about 4,700 square meters, in the former stables, which will be preserved. In addition, there will be 170 underground parking spaces on the northern edge of Via Lombroso.
In the meantime: the open-air evenings at Viale Molise 62
If you’d like to see the inside of the former slaughterhouse while listening to great music, you still have a few chances. Vision Open Air requires an admission fee:
- September 24 with Michael Bibi (starting at 6 p.m.)
- on the 26th with Solomun (starting at 5 p.m.).
On October 3, there’s Milan Open Air, and on the 10th, the Aperyshow Charity Festival—both are free; all you need to do is register.
Among the news stories about Milan in recent weeks, this is one to keep an eye on: if the plan goes through, it will transform the face of the southeastern district.
