VIGORELLI CYCLING HUB

Velodromo Maspes-Vigorelli is given a new life, emerging from the glory of its past. The structure regains a unicity and contemporaneity through a new and cogent unveiling of the essence of its history. A floating stripped roof hovers above the landscape of the newly regenerated "Quartiere Storico di Fiera Milano”. It floats over an open space for people to gather in, enjoy and celebrate the events taking place at the venue. Once a Velodrome, this new structure gains an additional skin, as the seating strips wraps all around, rising to the roof. The light is filtered, allowing for the comfortable celebration of events. This public facility is a beacon for the city of Milan.

An Urban Project : Opening Velodromo Maspes-Vigorelli to the Public:

The project is integrated into the city, and the recently developed area. With the new transparent commercial units on its ground floor, it becomes a magnet for users of the neighbouring towers, as well as the inhabitants of the city. The structure is porous to the public, and will be significant to city life even if no major sports events are happening within it. Furthermore, the project operates as a hinge linking two sides of Milano, celebrating on the one hand its heritage, and on the other its future.

A Point of Reference :

For the Velodromo to operate as a new 'center' it has to embody a seductive architecture. The decision to emphasize the skin of this facility, and its floating aspect serve this purpose. The Velodromo represents a highly visible architecture, with its surface reflecting the surrounding landscape, and its fins, an iconic element, filtering the light radiating from the edifice at night. The architectural language of this project again embodies this idea of the center ground between the City of Milan's heritage and new development.

The intervention maintains all the original structure and elements of the building, as it is protected by the heritage office (Soprintendenza per i beni architettonici). The original wooden track designed by the architect Clemens Schuermann is also maintained as a technological and historical memory.