CityWave by BIG: Milan's CityLife district expands with a wave-shaped solar-powered building

The CityLife district in Milan continues its expansion with the CityWave project by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG). The building, a horizontal tower connecting two structures East and West, features a wave-like roof covered entirely with solar panels, creating one of Italy's largest photovoltaic parks. The 180-million-euro investment will add 63,000 square meters of space, mostly offices, with completion targeted before the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics. The wave structure, over 200 meters long, will house a park walkway underneath, described by Ingels as a contemporary interpretation of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. CityLife, originally masterplanned by Arata Isozaki, Daniel Libeskind, and Zaha Hadid, has transformed the former trade fair area over 14 years into a mixed-use district with green spaces, pedestrian areas, and contemporary art installations (ArtLine). Photographer Alberto Fanelli has documented the construction with the longest timelapse of urban landscape change in Italy. Future plans include demolishing a road axis, requalifying the Scintille pavilion as an event space, and building a final 7,000-square-meter lot.