PROJECT OVERVIEW

The Memory Spine: Re-Stitching Milan’s Urban Edge

This urban design proposal focuses on the Lampugnano–Monte Stella district in Milan, an area that embodies both the potential and the challenges of the city’s outer edge. Despite its strategic location—connected to major transit infrastructure and adjacent to one of Milan’s most significant landscape landmarks, Monte Stella—the district suffers from fragmented public space, discontinuous pedestrian routes, and a lack of cohesive identity. The project responds to these conditions by introducing The Memory Spine, a linear strategy that connects key public focal points from the city center to the periphery.

At the core of the proposal is the idea that cities thrive when their edges are meaningfully tied to their centers. The Memory Spine creates this continuity by transforming underutilized or disconnected pockets around Lampugnano into a sequence of public spaces that narrate the district’s cultural, social, and historical layers. Anchored by new civic elements—including a Cultural Hub, Box Park, Performance Area, and a series of landscape interventions such as The Tunnel, The Bunker, The Trench, and The Tower—the Spine becomes both an infrastructural and emotional link.

Monte Stella, a hill built from wartime debris and a symbol of collective memory, functions as the narrative climax of the Spine. Here, new pathways and viewing points reinterpret the themes of memory, conflict, and resilience. The design strategy divides programmatic spaces into temporal categories: Past (spaces of remembrance), Present (communicative and social spaces), and Future (creative and productive spaces). Together, these elements generate a cohesive system in which the landscape and built environment support Milan’s broader civic identity.

Ultimately, the project aims to re-stitch the relationship between Milan’s center and periphery by transforming Lampugnano into a vibrant urban threshold. Through spatial continuity, curated public experiences, and the preservation of collective memory, The Memory Spine strengthens urban connectivity while offering a renewed sense of place for residents and visitors alike.

CREDITS
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