Prada, Coima, Covivio acquire Milan's Porta Romana rail yard for sculpture park

Prada Holding, Coima, and Covivio have officially purchased the 190,000-square-meter former Porta Romana rail yard in Milan from Ferrovie dello Stato. The consortium will launch a master plan competition and develop residences, offices, and green spaces. First deliveries are expected by 2025, as the site will host the Olympic Village for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Prada's involvement is strategic: the area is adjacent to Fondazione Prada, which has been culturally successful but urbanistically isolated. The purchase clarifies Prada's earlier decision to locate its foundation in this once-remote district. The development includes student housing (post-Olympics), offices (some for Prada), and burying part of the railway to connect the quadrant to Porta Romana and the historic center. Over half the area must be parkland, with early renderings suggesting a large water feature. Rumors indicate Prada may oversee the park, potentially creating a contemporary sculpture park akin to CityLife's. Nearby projects include CitterioViel's Fastweb headquarters and A2A's cone-shaped tower, Carlo Ratti and Italo Rota's urban vineyard building, and BarrecaLaVarra's school complex. The transformation could reshape Milan's southeast quadrant, pending municipal commitment.