Top architecture meets sustainability and quality of life in the CityLife district. And the scene wouldn’t be complete without Schindler.
Marco Beccati, Technical Director of CityLife, beams with pleasure as he is asked about his VIP neighbors. It is no secret that football stars, basketball icons, and fashion designers have moved into the CityLife residential development created by star architects Zaha Hadid and Daniel Libeskind.
’At first, the Milanese didn’t entirely trust us. They couldn’t imagine what this dusty old part of town would look like once we had finished,’ explains Marco Beccati, who has been managing the project for nine years. ‘Today, our district has become a place to work and a place where the whole of Milan can relax.’
In 2010, Schindler won the contract to supply elevators for the seven residential buildings de-signed by Zaha Hadid, with their curves and rounded balconies, and the eight buildings created by Daniel Libeskind, with their angular and asymmetrical exteriors.
Angelo Fumagalli, General Manager of Schindler Italy, comments: ‘CityLife is a prestigious project that has transformed Milan’s skyline. With its visibility and appeal that extends far beyond Milan, CityLife is a must for every high-tech company. We had to be part of it.’
The three high-rise buildings designed by architects Daniel Libeskind, Zaha Hadid, and Arata Isozaki are very distinct even from a distance, and the Milanese didn’t waste any time naming the towers: Il Curvo (The Curved One), Lo Storto (The Twisted One), and Il Dritto (The Straight One).
Two of the three towers, which reach a height of between 170 and 220 meters, are already occupied, while PwC employees are due to move into the Libeskind building in 2020.
CityLife has breathed new life into Milan. Located not far from the heart of the city, it represents the ‘green lungs’ of Milan. This is the city’s second-largest park, and it has 5 kilometers of cycle paths and a metro station, with cars confined to driving and parking below ground. Of the 5 000 people who already work in the towers, at least 70% travel to work using public transport.
Schindler has experience of working on renowned projects in Milan – in modern and historic buildings alike. The company has already made its mark in the equally vast new business district Porta Nuova, and in the Duomo – Milan’s famous cathedral.
CityLife: Three high-rise buildings, apartments and public parks now occupy the former expo site and covers an area of 36,000m2.