New Residential Complex in Via Guglielmo Silva
Intervention Area
In the early decades of the 20th century, the north-western sector of Milan, where the new residential complex on Via Silva is located, was subject to a limited process of urbanization. This area included large expanses of countryside, such as the significant green spaces of the Hippodrome and Lido sports facilities. At that time, the block on Via Silva was largely characterized by green areas, except for the construction of the Istituto Nazionale Sordomuti - Liceo Artistico Boccioni in the early 1930s, facing Piazzale Arduino. In the northern, undeveloped section of the block, remnants of a former floricultural company can still be seen, including a boundary wall along Via Flavio Gioia, which is particularly noteworthy. This site is now home to a new residential complex, completing the northern section of the large block originally defined by the Beruto Plan of 1889.
Urban Design
With the construction of the new buildings, the development of the block is completed, in line with the perimeter alignment set out in the local urban planning regulations. The project achieves a dynamic closure of the street frontage through subtle deviations from the perimeter outline, creating a degree of permeability and interconnection between the street space and the internal garden. These deviations facilitate a porosity between the public and private domains, with pathways derived from the building layouts further enhancing this relationship. The differentiated treatment of the facades, featuring large loggias facing the inner courtyard, and the overall morphology, aim to form a cohesive urban composition, avoiding a mere juxtaposition of individual architectural volumes.
The New Buildings
The designated building area accommodates three distinct volumes, defining the residential complex along Via Flavio Gioia and Via Guglielmo Silva. Two linear blocks (six floors on Via Silva and five and a half floors on Via Gioia) form the building line along the two streets, while a 19-floor residential tower stands prominently on Viale Eginardo. The blocks along Via Gioia and Via Silva are slightly rotated relative to the block's original perimeter, introducing angled views toward the internal garden. The ground floor is articulated with diagonal lines that structure the spatial organization, creating visual continuity across the building’s base. The architectural concept fosters a clear separation between the street-facing and courtyard-facing facades, with a pronounced contrast between the white plastered surfaces of the street facades and the more textured elevations overlooking the internal garden, which feature a 280-centimeter metal grille overhanging the loggias and balconies.
The housing program offers a diverse range of units, varying in size and interior configuration. The tower apartments are oriented to take advantage of views of the metropolitan skyline, while those along Via Gioia and Via Silva enjoy vistas of the private green courtyard. The internal grounds consist of lawn areas interspersed with garden and vegetable plots, bordered by planted groves. The ground floor, conceived as an extension of the landscaped areas, houses the building’s entry halls, which provide access to the stairwells and serve as a transitional space between the street and the internal courtyard.
The residential tower on Viale Eginardo establishes a connection with the broader metropolitan scale. The project context is situated within the north-western sector of Milan, encompassing areas such as the Fairgrounds, the New Portello district, and the major roads linking to the motorway sites systems that have seen the emergence of new urban narratives and transformations in the urban landscape. The design choice to integrate the tower into the new metropolitan reality, while simultaneously completing the 19th-century urban fabric of the block, led to the placement of the tower in alignment with the existing street grid. This alignment reinforces the tower's connection to the surrounding urban context, while accentuating the architectural coherence of the block as it addresses the street.
