Marco Bay's Palm Installation at Piazza Duomo Sparks Controversy

Architect Marco Bay has installed a tropical garden in Milan's Piazza Duomo, featuring palms, banana plants, and other exotic species. The installation, commissioned by Starbucks ahead of its new outlet opening at Piazza Cordusio, has sparked debate over aesthetics and national identity, with some critics accusing it of 'Africanizing' Milan. Bay, a landscape architecture expert with a degree from Politecnico di Milano and training in England under Geoffrey Jellicoe, has designed numerous green spaces in Milan, including Hangar Bicocca and Palazzo Reale's courtyard. He defends the project, noting the plants are hardy varieties that have thrived in Milan for over a century. The installation is set to last three years and has received approval from the city and the Soprintendenza. Despite vandalism—some palms were set on fire—Bay remains confident, emphasizing the element of surprise and seduction in his 'vegetal architecture.'