Urbanity/The city of Milan

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URBANITY

The word urbanity has always fascinated me.

Originated from the latin urbanitas, it relates to urban space, and more specifically to the way this space is appropriated by people. Behind the concept of urbanity, there is an innovative urban space which acts as a network, so that all the physical elements, such as streets and buildings, are strictly connected with people and their activities. Urbanity is a total concept, without barriers or interruptions, focused manly on the “human experience” both in content and space. Urbanity is the city that opens cultural hubs in recovered industrial sites. Urbanity is a fluid commercial space where art, food and green, blend harmoniously.

MILAN AND ITS URBANITY

Coming from a small community, I've always viewed Milan as the place where everything is possible. The big city where metropolitan smells, noises and lights always catch me by surprise whether I decide to visit.

This is my vision of Milan. The places I usually go to fulfil my metropolitan soul. The hours I spend on trams from different periods, from the most modern to the old-style wooden ones, watching the city life passing by behind the window. As different scenes passed, streets feel different from downtown to the outskirts. I usually wait the last stop where I can explore the more intimate and vibrant parts of Milan.

LA BICOCCA

The area had been known as Bicocca for over 4 centuries, taking its name from the fifteenth-century aristocratic villa of the Arcimboldi family. Bicocca remained an autonomous comune until 1841, when it was annexed to Niguarda, which became part of Milan in 1923.

During the 19th century, and in the first half of the 20th century, Bicocca became the centre of an important industrial area. The first facilities to be established were those of Pirelli, Ansaldobreda, and Wagons-Lits.

Founded in Milan in 1872 by Giovanni Battista Pirelli, the Pirelli company, focused on the production of tyre and cables, had maintained a leading role in the area until the 80s. The historic centre of Bicocca, named Borgo Pirelli, was developed as a residential area for the thousands of workers that were employed in the Pirelli factories. The original Pirelli factory has been redesigned in 1998 by architect Vittorio Gregotti into an urban complex which includes the research laboratories and student residence halls of Bicocca University; moreover, Pirelli former locomotive factory has been converted in 2004 into a cultural hub named Pirelli Hangar Bicocca. Among the permanent exhibitions, there is I Sette Palazzi Celesti, the monumental towers created by German artist Anselm Kiefer.

PORTA NUOVA

Named after the well-preserved Neoclassic gate built in 1810 on this site, Centro Direzionale (Milan business district) is now one of Italy's most high-tech and international districts. The heart of the district is the large square erected next to Garibaldi railway station, dedicated to architect and designer Gae Aulenti and crowned by three glass skyscrapers designed by César Pelli, including the Unicredit tower, the highest building in Italy.

PORTA ROMANA

The Milan venue of Fondazione Prada is an institution dedicated to the promotion of contemporary art and culture. In the past 20 years, it has also promoted a rich cultural programme, such as film festivals, multi-disciplinary and philosophy talks and architecture and design projects. The complex, which is the result of the transformation in 2015 by architecture firm OMA of a former 1910s distillery, combines pre-existing buildings with three new structures. Nearby you can stop and eat at Madama Bistrot, which is also a hostel where each room is painted by popular street artists.

CIMITERO MONUMENTALE

Located near the monumental cemetery of Milan, Fabbrica del vapore is a train/tram factory converted into an art complex embracing photography exhibitions, theatre, and cinema.