Work begins on CityWave Milan, the new-generation building that completes CityLife

Designed by the firm BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group, the building represents a new concept of the workplace that combines the objectives of positive impact, quality of life and new ways of using spaces

Work begins today on the construction of CityWave, the new-generation office building that marks the completion of CityLife, one of the leading examples of urban regeneration in Europe, a district that has been restored to the city of Milan in a completely renovated form that can be used by everyone, characterised by sustainability, quality of life and services.

Designed by the firm BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group, CityWave stands as a new paradigm for the offices of the future, the outcome of a new idea of the workplace based on innovative design solutions that put quality of life at the centre and redefine the concept of sustainability.

The CityWave project is the culmination of CityLife’s commitment to urban redevelopment and sustainability, which have characterised the entire development of the district from its inception. Thanks to the most innovative solutions in the energy field, the building will be powered exclusively by renewable sources and is the first office building to go beyond zero impact with a design aimed at exerting a "positive impact" on the environment. Indeed, the cladding of the structure with photovoltaic panels that cover the buildings named East and West will form the largest photovoltaic park in Milan and one of the largest urban photovoltaic parks in Italy, with an area of around 11,000 square metres of panels that can provide energy production estimated at 1,200 MWh a year, thanks to an installed power of nearly 2 MWh. The same structure will also make possible the collection and reuse of rainwater, as well as providing a vast covered area of public green space that can be enjoyed throughout the year. What’s more, the building is designed to consume 45% less energy than standard office blocks through solutions such as the thermal use of groundwater, with a saving of 520 tons of CO2 a year, equal to the emissions absorbed by 20,000 trees. The CityWave project has already obtained LEED™ precertification with a Platinum level classification.

The marketing of the innovative spaces for office use has been assigned to Jones Lang LaSalle S.p.A. and Cushman & Wakefield LLP. The CityWave construction works were launched today following completion of the detailed design and are expected to be finished by 2025.

CityWave, as well as the entire CityLife redevelopment project, is part of the European strategy of Generali Real Estate which, with assets of over EUR 33 billion, ranks among the leading real estate managers in the world and creates value for investors through a series of cross-border investment vehicles, managed by the qualified asset manager Generali Real Estate SGR.

At the construction site launch ceremony, held in the presence of the Mayor of Milan Giuseppe Sala and the press, speeches were given by Aldo Mazzocco, Chief Executive Officer of Generali Real Estate SpA and Chairman of CityLife, Armando Borghi, Chief Executive Officer of CityLife, and Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner of BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, with the participation of Gabriele Galateri di Genola, Chairman of Assicurazioni Generali.

Giuseppe Sala, Mayor of Milan, commented: "The start of construction works of CityWave at CityLife are a new strong sign of recovery that drives the whole city. The pandemic has forced all of us to slow down to get out of the emergency, but now is the time to move forward with determination and confidence in our abilities. This new project completes the iconic CityLife district and shows with its original design and its 'positive impact' building features the city we are building: we will have the largest urban photovoltaic park, a rainwater reuse system, and a complex that will consume 45% less energy than other buildings. It will be the symbol of the Milan we want: sustainable, international, beautiful."

Aldo Mazzocco, Chief Executive Officer of Generali Real Estate and Chairman of CityLife, said: “This new-generation building is a further 'step up' in the evolution of properties for offices: a container for managerial activities that brings together objectives of positive impact on the environment and quality of life with new ways of using spaces in the wake of the shock from lockdown. In this way, we are defining a new paradigm for the world."

Armando Borghi, Chief Executive Officer of CityLife, commented: “CityWave is the culmination of a journey begun more than fifteen years ago that has made CityLife a new urban centre, a unique destination in Milan, where quality of life, innovation and sustainability come together. We are already at an advanced stage in talks with leading market operators for the marketing of the building, in confirmation of the project’s value. We are also continuing with the construction of CityLife’s last residential lot, which we will hand over in June 2022, while the completion of the public park is expected by the end of this year.”

Bjarke Ingels, Founding Partner of BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, said: “The large catenary canopy of CityWave unites the last two buildings of City Life with a single sagging gesture. The solar tiles power the workplaces within while the wooden underside covers a new public space underneath. Like a contemporary interpretation of the massive covered public space of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II the solar canopy offers the citizens of Milan a shaded and sheltered urban space for the life and culture of this vibrant new part of the city. The resultant silhouette unites indoor and outdoor space in a form of weightless monumentality.”