Hines, the international real estate firm, announced today the grand opening of a new 161,400 ft² (approx. 49195 m²) public space at Porta Nuova Garibaldi, the first phase of the firm's landmark development project in Milan.
Porta Nuova Garibaldi progress - building design by Cesar Pelli (tallest tower in Italy).
One of the office towers overlooking the piazza is Italy's tallest building, establishing a new focal point for the city and a marker celebrating the grand public space below. The milestone was commemorated with a December 7th public grand opening ceremony for Piazza Gae Aulenti, a magnificent new square in the center of Porta Nuova Garibaldi. Gerald D. Hines, chairman of Hines, joined Hines Italia CEO Manfredi Catella and other dignitaries at the dedication ceremony.
Designed by architect Cesar Pelli together with Italian landscape designer Land, the new piazza was dedicated to the memory of Ms. Gae Aulenti, one of Italy's leading ambassadors of architecture, who died in October.
Porta Nuova or 'new gate' is a trio of mixed-use developments designed to revitalize a long-abandoned area and reunite the adjacent neighborhoods of Garibaldi, Isola and Varesine. The 71-acre master plan encompasses a full range of residential, retail, office, hotel, educational, government, cultural and social-function space. Scheduled for completion in time for Expo 2015, Porta Nuova promises to restore a sense of harmony and balance among the three neighborhoods, while setting a new benchmark for urban developments throughout Europe.
Porta Nuova Garibaldi is linked to Italy's main public transportation junction, serving more than 200,000 passengers per day. The railway station accommodates RFI and ITALO high-speed trains, as well as French TGV, the subway green line, the Passante urban railway junction and the soon-to-be-completed subway line 5.
The project is an outstanding example of elegant architectural design and intelligent urban planning. It involved over 20 architectural firms representing eight different countries including: Pelli Clarke Pelli Architects, Kohn Pedersen Fox Architects, Boeri Studio, Arquitectonica, Cino Zucchi Architetti, Munoz + Albin, Studio M2P Associati, Caputo Partnership, Coima Image, Piùarch, William McDonough + Partners, Lucien Lagrange, and Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners.
Source: Hines
