CityWave, the 'lying' tower ready by 2026

It will be operational by 2026 CityWave - in Milan - the fourth new-generation office building, also known as the 'lying skyscraper', which develops more horizontally than vertically on the skyline of the three CityLife towers, was the protagonist yesterday of the 'flag-laying' ceremony, which traditionally marks the completion of the structures and the start of a new construction phase. A building that has already leased 'on paper' 50% of its space to several companies. Among them is Nexi, which will move its headquarters there.

The design of CityWave, signed by BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group - was the winner of an invitation-only competition with the participation of six international studios. The construction site was started in August 2023, and the construction schedule, for which the Temporary Association of Companies (A.T.I.) Colombo Costruzioni - CMB is in charge, foresees the completion of the buildings in 2026. CityWave represents a unique project in terms of architecture, engineering and sustainability..

Il momento che precede la posa della bandiera. Al centro, il sindaco di Milano, Giuseppe Sala. Il terzo da destra è l’amministratore delegato di Generali Italia, Philippe Donnet

The bold, futuristic structure consists of two buildings with variable geometry connected by a wooden and steel canopy. The East and West buildings will house approximately 60,000 square metres of flexible, light-filled office space, integrated with the neighbourhood and park, and with the covered plaza under the canopy.
In terms of engineering, the canopy is a structural element built like a bridge suspended between two pylons, and presents ambitious design challenges related to statics and wind resistance. The canopy is made of steel cables anchored to the buildings that support overlapping layers of wood to ensure strength, lightness and flexibility.
The canopy will be entirely covered with photovoltaic panels covering an area of about 11,000 square metres (larger than a football pitch), which will produce about 1.3 MWh/year. The powerful photovoltaic system, combined with the use of geothermal energy to power the heat pumps, will allow energy savings of 30-40% compared to the consumption of a building of equivalent volume. In addition, the extensive use of renewable energy sources will avoid the emission of about 400 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, equal to the CO2 absorbed by 15 thousand trees.

"Today we have reached a very important goal for the project: with the completion of the floor castings, the building structure is complete," said Marco Beccati, technical director of CityLife Spa. "From now on, work will focus on the installation of the facades and the systems inside, while in parallel the work to complete the roofing of the building will continue at a fast pace. Our goal is to have the building completely above water by early next year. Now the architectural profile of CityWave is fully recognisable in its entirety and beauty'.

"What we have tried to do here," said Bjarke Ingels, founder and creative director, BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group, "is to resist the temptation to add another tower to the already majestic CityLife urban complex, and rather create a truly inviting urban space as a gateway to this new neighbourhood. The solar roof of the wooden canopy joining the two buildings provides shade and shelter for city life, and serves as an urban gesture of environmental and social performance. As a 21st century interpretation of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, CityWave is a direct continuation of the quest to provide new forms of public space for the city.
CityWave is the only building in Italy to have achieved three international sustainability certifications at the highest level: WiredScore Platinum certification, Well v2 Core Platinum pre-certification and Leed Core Shell v4 Platinum pre-certification.