CityWave: the new icon of design and sustainability takes shape as CityLife’s latest landmark
The CityWave construction site, scheduled for completion by the end of 2026 and set to become a new landmark for CityLife and contemporary Milan, welcomed a visit from internationally renowned architect Bjarke Ingels
CityWave, the project designed by international studio BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group for CityLife, continues to progress toward completion, scheduled by the end of 2026.
The structure of CityWave is now fully recognizable in its iconic form: the large wave-shaped canopy connecting the two buildings represents the distinctive feature of a project designed to integrate harmoniously into the skyline of the three CityLife towers, “completing without competing.”
To explore the project’s unique characteristics and provide an update on construction progress, CityLife hosted a press meeting today attended by Bjarke Ingels, founder of BIG – Bjarke Ingels Group and architect of CityWave, together with Paolo Micucci, CEO of CityLife SpA; Aldo Mazzocco, CEO and General Manager of Generali Real Estate S.p.A. and Chairman of CityLife SpA; and Marco Beccati, Technical Director of CityLife.
“With CityWave, we are seeing a project take shape that fully embodies the vision of CityLife: a place where architecture, sustainability, quality of life and the relationship with public space coexist harmoniously,” said Paolo Micucci, CEO of CityLife SpA. “Today, the great wave that defines the building is no longer just a design concept, but a concrete reality enriching the district’s skyline and creating a new connection between the towers, the park and the city. With completion expected by the end of 2026, we are preparing to deliver to Milan a new space designed for people, capable of generating value for the city and further establishing CityLife as an international model of urban regeneration.”
CityWave represents a new defining element in the urban design of CityLife, one of the most significant urban regeneration projects developed in Europe, created through the transformation of the historic former Fiera di Milano area.
The project consists of two buildings connected by a large suspended canopy made with an innovative timber-and-steel structure covered by more than 11,000 sqm of solar panels, and will host approximately 60,000 sqm of state-of-the-art office space, integrated with the surrounding district and park. At the base of the structure, a new covered square will emerge, designed as an open and permeable place in dialogue with the area’s public spaces.
“CityWave is the kind of project that comes along only a few times in a career. It will be a masterpiece of technology and architecture that will be studied in university textbooks,” commented Aldo Mazzocco, CEO and General Manager of Generali Real Estate S.p.A. and Chairman of CityLife SpA.
CityWave has been designed with a strong focus on innovation and environmental sustainability. The building has already achieved WiredScore Platinum certification and WELL Platinum and LEED Platinum pre-certifications, thanks to the energy produced by its photovoltaic system and the use of geothermal energy and highly efficient materials.
The project is part of the broader development vision that has made CityLife an international model of a contemporary district capable of combining outstanding architecture, quality of life, services and extensive green spaces open to the city.
“CityWave was conceived not as a single tower, but as two buildings connected by a dramatic catenary canopy, creating a new gateway to CityLife,” said Bjarke Ingels, Founder and Creative Director of BIG. “The architecture expresses a profoundly Italian duality: rational and rigorous in its clarity, yet at the same time surprisingly majestic when all the elements come together. The canopy not only generates energy, but also creates a vast public space underneath it, like a gift to the city of Milan, providing shade from the sun and shelter from the rain. Rising along the buildings, the canopy also extends working life outdoors through terraces located on every level. In this way, the project condenses the qualities of CityLife into a single architectural gesture. Contributing to a city with such extraordinary architectural heritage is a great privilege and, after visiting the construction site today, I feel optimistic and excited for the opening of CityWave within the coming year.”
With construction steadily progressing, CityWave is now entering a decisive phase of development, in line with the schedule that foresees completion by the end of 2026.
“Today we have the honor and pleasure of welcoming Architect Bjarke Ingels, the protagonist of a design vision that is becoming what is destined to be one of the most iconic and recognizable buildings in the city of Milan,” said Marco Beccati, Technical Director of CityLife. “This result stems from a complex and ambitious challenge, tackled with passion and expertise by multiple teams who worked in close synergy: architects, professionals and construction companies. A project distinguished by its high architectural value and the uniqueness of its structure.”
With this new building, CityLife is preparing to deliver to Milan another key piece of a project that, over the years, has profoundly transformed a strategic part of the city, giving it back in a new, sustainable and fully accessible form.
For further information: Spencer & Lewis per CityLife.
