Dropcity: New Architecture and Design Center to Open in Milan's Central Station

Dropcity, a new Center for Architecture and Design, will occupy 10,000 square meters of the Magazzini Raccordati at Milan's Centrale station, transforming 28 tunnel-warehouses into exhibition galleries, production ateliers, woodworking labs, robotics and advanced prototyping facilities. The project, conceived by architect Andrea Caputo since 2018, is part of the Cantiere Centrale initiative promoted by Grandi Stazioni since 2017. Dropcity will open to the public in spring 2024, but will preview during Design Week from June 7 to 19, 2022, with a cultural program activating part of the spaces. Construction begins in autumn 2022 with a €16 million investment from developer Nhood. The center will include 400 ergonomic workstations, a restaurant, a materials library (materioteca) organized by environmental impact and upcycling principles, and a public library focused on architecture and design. The project also involves urban regeneration of the Sammartino district, including road conversion to reduce car traffic, a new bike path connecting Centrale to Martesana, depaving for vegetation, and restoration of over 400 meters of facades. Dropcity aims to create opportunities for emerging researchers, curators, and designers, with free public access to exhibition galleries.