Two Major Libraries Under Construction in Milan Transform Urban Landscape

Two significant library projects are advancing in Milan, representing major cultural infrastructure investments. The BEIC (Biblioteca Europea di Informazione e Comunicazione), designed by Onsitestudio, is a 30,000-square-meter national project funded by PNRR funds and state investments. Located in Porta Vittoria, it will replace Milan's central library currently at Palazzo Sormani and feature green areas, automated storage, and multifunctional spaces. Meanwhile, the 4,000-square-meter Biblioteca di Lorenteggio, led by architects Grau Magaña Urtzi, is rising in Via Odazio with €8 million in municipal and PNRR funding. This peripheral library will serve an area with new metro access, a market, and public housing. A €70,000 art competition will commission a work for a nearby chimney, with completion expected by September. Milan's cultural assessor Tommaso Sacchi stated these projects double library space from 23,000 to over 50,000 square meters during his tenure. Both aim to be community hubs beyond book lending, offering workshops, technology access, and cultural interaction. Nationally, other major libraries include Mario Botta's Biblioteca di Archeologia e Storia dell'Arte in Rome (planned for 2027) and the 20,000-square-meter Biblioteca Civica Centrale di Torino in Pier Luigi Nervi's Torino Esposizioni building. Minister Alessandro Giuli noted Italy's book sector remains resilient with public support for small publishers.