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Campus Nord Politecnico di Milano

Milan / Italy

RPBW has led the master plan as well as the architectural design of the new Bovisa Campus for the Milan Polytechnic University Campus. With 20 new buildings and an overall area of 60 hectares, the project is a unique opportunity to reimagine a former industrial site into a vibrant campus for students and faculty of the university and the inhabitants of Milan.

Construction started in 2024.

An artist 's impression of the inside of a building
© RPBW
 

Working with existing structures, buildings and green space

 

The essence of this project was already embedded in the site. The idea was there, waiting to be realized. First, the forest, with its majestic trees. Then, the traces of the old factory—ancient buildings that bore witness to the site's history and identity. The factory sheds, the gasometers, all reclaimed by the lush nature that had taken over. This was what we found: the topos.

What we brought was the vision of an open and accessible university campus, where the classrooms and laboratories of the Politecnico would stand alongside student residences, Milan’s Civic Schools, research labs, and startups. A campus open in every sense—to the forest, to the city, and to the natural transition from school to active life. It could only be an energy-independent project with zero CO₂ emissions. It was once a factory, and a factory it remains—a factory of ideas, filled with light and surrounded by greenery.

Transforming a disused and polluted industrial site into a green and vibrant campus for the students of the university and the inhabitants of Milan
General Plan
A couple of people are sitting on the grass in front of a large body of water
© RPBW
A group of people are walking through a park surrounded by trees and buildings
 

 

The project introduces 20 new four-story buildings, each standing 16 meters tall—the same height as the trees that will be planted—totalling approximately 105,000 square meters, with additional space for the Civic Schools. Designed as an interconnected, multifunctional neighborhood, the campus will remain vibrant throughout the day. These buildings occupy no more—and in some cases, less—land than the original factory, preserving the surrounding 24-hectare forest, free from roads or construction.

Seamlessly linked to Milan via upgraded Bovisa and Villapizzone rail stations, the campus regenerates this area of the city through connectivity, historical preservation, and a diverse mix of uses. At its core is a deep connection to nature, with trees threading through the campus, forming a living, breathing landscape.

An artist 's impression of a park with a stadium in the background
© RPBW
A masterplan of a large area with lots of buildings and trees
© RPBW
 

 

Project Details

Status

2022 - ongoing

Client

ION Foundation + Politecnico di Milano

Design

Renzo Piano Building Workshop, architects

Design Team

E.Trezzani, P.Pelanda (partner and associate in charge)