Triennale Milano and San Vittore Prison Launch Design Competition

Triennale Milano and Milan's Francesco di Cataldo – San Vittore prison have launched a design competition titled 'San Vittore, spazio alla bellezza' to reimagine the historic prison's spaces. The competition, part of a collaboration dating back to 2018, invites architects, designers, urbanists, and engineers—with priority for under-40s and professionals registered in Milan—to propose concepts for six areas: integration with the city (green areas, meeting spaces), community and living spaces (male and female cells), and recreation and well-being (courtyards, staff bar/cafeteria). Participants must submit a manifesto and four images. A jury will select six candidates by February 2021, each assigned a case study, with site visits and project development due by June 2021. Results will be presented in July 2021. The initiative is coordinated by Lorenza Baroncelli, Triennale's artistic director for architecture and urban regeneration. Giacinto Siciliano, prison director, emphasizes changing perception through beauty, while Triennale President Stefano Boeri highlights the growing dialogue between the two institutions. The competition raises the broader question of whether to renovate the 1889 building or build a new prison outside the city. The project is supported by Fondazione Maimeri, Shifton, and Associazione Amici della Nave.