After Gio Ponti, Rai’s Milan headquarters is reborn at the foot of CityLife

In an ever-changing Milan, after the urban developments of CityLife, Portello and Viale Scarampo , a new element is being added to the long-term metamorphosis of the former exhibition district, a context historically enclosed and impermeable to the dynamics of the city: it is the new Rai Production Centre on Via Gattamelata, designed by Lombardini22 as part of the Mi. Co Nord area of FieramilanoCity. The project aims to bring together, within a single multifunctional and technologically advanced facility, the management and production functions of Rai Milan, currently spread between Corso Sempione and Via Mecenate, and to reconnect the area with the urban fabric through new pedestrian and green links. The complex, situated on the site between Via Gattamelata and Via Colleoni on the grounds of the former Agriculture Pavilion—designed by Ignazio Gardella between 1957 and 1961 and demolished in 2025—will include administrative offices, television and radio studios, and technical facilities, all housed in a clear and functional plan-volumetric layout comprising two building blocks different in style and function, but conceived as a unitary system. On Via Gattamelata, the administrative block will be developed over seven storeys above ground, characterised by a glazed façade punctuated by deep wooden projections acting as horizontal bands and passive shading devices. The transparency of the shell conveys the idea of an open corporate institution, whilst the set-back of the volume creates a double-height urban portico that widens the pedestrian zone and transforms the street into a tree-lined, walkable boulevard. The structural use of glulam reinforces the firm's commitment to reducing carbon footprint—an approach already explored in projects such as the Villaggio Zucchetti in Lodi—thanks to the high performances of this material in low carbon emissions, lightness, rapid construction and design flexibility.

The production block is situated on the Via Colleoni side, comprising four above-ground levels and one basement level, where the architectural language takes on a more infrastructural character, featuring a technical façade, aluminum frames and truss beams to ensure maximum flexibility. Between the two volumes, a connecting element organises horizontal flows and ensures functional continuity between the various components of the complex. High-performance thermal facades, selective glazing, integrated ventilation, ventilated walls and green roofs designed for photovoltaic systems all contribute to defining a building conceived to integrate microclimatic comfort and environmental sustainability. The project is currently in the development phase, with a timeframe spanning from 2026 to 2029.