Milan's Museo del Novecento expansion faces controversy over aerial walkway

The expansion of Milan's Museo del Novecento, known as NOVECENTOPIÙCENTO, has sparked a dispute between the Order of Architects of Milan (OAMI) and the Superintendency over the design of a connecting walkway between the two Arengario buildings. The competition, launched on December 21, 2020, by the Municipality of Milan, aims to annex the Secondo Arengario to the existing museum to create a unified complex for modern and contemporary art. The brief requires a suspended walkway but also asks for an alternative without physical connection. On March 4, 2021, the Superintendency issued a technical clarification criticizing the aerial walkway, arguing it would disrupt the historic visual axis from Piazza Scala to the Grattacielo Martini, and instead proposed an underground connection, citing the Louvre Pyramid by I. M. Pei as a precedent. OAMI President Paolo Mazzoleni wrote to Mayor Beppe Sala and Superintendent Ranaldi, stating the clarification conflicts with the competition documents and undermines the process, especially given the imminent deadline. The competition deadline was extended by 15 days to March 18, 2021. The Superintendency later clarified that its comments do not invalidate the brief, but the controversy highlights tensions over design competitions in Italy.