Bicocca Pavilion: a jewel in the urban renewal of Milan

As Gino Garbellini, founding partner of Piuarch, puts it: «This small-scale architecture, almost delicate in its presence, possesses a lightness and organic quality that makes it a true catalyst for rebirth. Like a contemporary seed, it subtly integrates into the landscape, radiating energy and sparking new connections». Garbellini’s words aptly describe the Bicocca Pavilion, which was inaugurated last April in the center of BiM and within the expansive courtyard of the building complex designed by Vittorio Gregotti in the 1990s. This project is part of a broader revitalization effort, spearheaded by Piuarch and supported by Aermont Capital, Kervis SGR, and Manifattura, which aims to regenerate the entire urban block by the end of 2026, after having already revitalized spaces facing Viale Pirelli 10.

This ‘contemporary seed,’ with its near-circular and permeable form, introduces a new architectural ‘gesture’ that reshapes the grand piazza-garden and softens the rigidity of Gregotti’s orthogonal design. The light envelope follows the rhythm of tilted, offset perimeter elements, while the circular roof, treated with greenery, integrates seamlessly into the courtyard landscape. The alternation of semi-reflective metal surfaces and transparent glazing makes the two-story structure more receptive to its surroundings, maximizing natural light and reflecting the lush vegetation.

In this way, the pavilion interacts with the green landscape designed by Antonio Perazzi, as well as with the constant flow of people who frequent and pass through the courtyard. Within a larger development of over 50,000 square meters—which includes 43,000 square meters of offices with green terraces arranged over eight floors, 4,000 square meters of retail space, and amenities like a gym, parking for cars and bicycles, shops, cafes, and restaurants—the ‘small’ Bicocca Pavilion, measuring just 800 square meters, becomes the heart of the piazza-garden. It is a meeting place and exchange point that connects work, community, landscape, and architecture.

Conceived as a “relational device” to promote hybrid activities, the Bicocca Pavilion houses the Bicocca-Innovation Hub on its first floor, an innovation ecosystem dedicated to fostering synergies between businesses and the academic world. On the ground floor, available to the community, the multifunctional space designed by Paola Navone OTTO Studio brings together the “sips&bites by Fuorimano” restaurant and cafeteria, a lounge, a flexible space for study and work, and an arena for events and meetings. The 200-seat auditorium, gym, and parking for cars and bicycles are located on the underground floor.

Confirming the desire to foster relationships within the community that has formed in the Bicocca urban district in recent years, BiM launched a program of cultural events on June 5th that will continue throughout the summer.