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The MILL Master Plan envisions a new season for the Ex Cotonificio Cantoni area: an urban and cultural regeneration that accommodates the new headquarters of Confindustria Varese and an integrated university campus.
The project stems from listening to the industrial memory of the place and dialoguing with the Olona River, transforming these traces into a contemporary architectural grammar capable of interweaving education, sociality and landscape.
It takes shape as a “factory of knowledge and know-how”: a living space where study, research and encounter fuel innovation, collaboration and social cohesion. A new hub open to the city, destined to become a cultural and productive reference point, in the local and national context.
Key data
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Status
Memory and innovation
The historic facades and shed roof of the renovated industrial building are enhanced as an identity symbol, while the new suspended volumes integrated into the complex dialogue with the landscape, creating spaces for work, education and sociality. The building opens to the Olona River with piers, green terraces and redesigned docks, becoming a point of connection between city, nature and community.
The MILL reinterprets nineteenth-century industrial language with contemporary geometries and internal green courtyards running through the building.
University campus and relationship with the territory
The linear campus integrates residences, common areas and sports spaces, overlooking the park and the MILL. The north-south orientation of the volumes ensures optimal overlooks and environmental comfort, while the modularity of the blocks creates a clear rhythmic sequence that integrates with the nearby LIUC. Communal podium spaces promote sociality, learning and the relationship between students and the local area.
Landscape and public spaces
The linear park spans the entire masterplan, integrating existing trees and new plantings to restore ecological continuity and landscape value. Pedestrian and bicycle paths connect the MILL, the campus and the city, while terraces, roof gardens and amenity areas create meeting points, rest and outdoor activities, reinforcing the perception of an open, accessible and shared space.
Sustainability and social impact
The project pursues an NZEB approach and integrated sustainability strategies, aiming to reduce consumption and emissions. The SROI methodology enables measurement of social, economic, and environmental impact, linking the project to the UN SDGs and monitoring benefits on community, land, and sustainable urban development. Macro-areas of impact include sustainable community, economic growth and employment, and environmental quality.
