Where will the international delegations live during the Expo 2015 in Milan? The new living district projected by EuroMilano in the urban renovation of Cascina Merlata, next to Rho-Pero’s exhibition center, is ready. 7 residential towers for 397 appartaments, projected with the most innovative sustainability tenchology by Mario Cucinella Architects, Teknoarch, B22 and P-u-r-a.

Temporariness, informality, sustainibility, flexibility, use of recycled materials, reusable furniture, low cost… These are the keywords architects have used to projected the new Expo Village at Cascina Merlata. The project was realized thinking about the identikit of the future residents: among 25 and 35 years old, usually travelling on their own, seldom with their family; from different cultures, religions and languages; with an informal lifestyle and tending towards sharing and living togheter with other people.
That’s particularly visible in the different appartments, for 2-5 people, divided into 3 categories (top, standard and base) depending on the host’s needing, and provided with Smart Tv and free wi-fi.
The indoor design, the definition of the residential space and the choice of the furniture were assigned to Politecnico di Milano and studied on the different use of the complex: a temporary phase during the Expo months and a permanent use in the following years, when it will be converted into a Social Housing residence.
The custom made furniture, realized in collaboration with Euromobil, can be all disassembled and reused and will furnish the towers with 397 kitchens, 1334 beds, 249 couch, more than 2.600 chairs e 900 writing desks.
For the lighting Artemide has supplied about 6.000 low-consumption led lamps, in line with the sustainability of the entirely zero-emission quarter.
Designers from all over the world were also involved through the international contest AAAdesignercercasi. Among the 107 self-financing prototypes from 500 makers, 10 designers were chosen to realize other interior design items to decorate the appartments.
The Expo Village at Cascina Merlata is a space capable to house different cultures, satisfying the requirments of the contemporary living, and to leave to Milano an inheritance of value.
Text by Gabriele Masi.