The Porta Romana railway station in its historical dimension: the basis for the project

The Milanese railway stations has had extraordinarily interesting discussions, converging in equally interesting studies and publications which, in general and in a nutshell, have dealt with the recovery of these areas from an urban, architectural, environmental, economic, and social points of view. From 2005 to today, the problem of the use of these areas has also involved the Politecnico di Milano, which, following an agreement with the Municipality of Milan, researchers for the reconversion strategies providing that, as in the case in question of the Porta Romana station, of the Society F, must take into account the conservation of a part of the railway line (the train station is in the connection line of the S 9, Saronno-Albairate line of the suburban service managed by Trenord). The workshop MIAW, at Politecnico di Milano, has chosen, once again, to take care of this subject, and it has developed between February and March 2021, in the same period of the outcoming of the competition on this area and the selection of masterplan by the workgroup led by Outcomist, with PLP Architecture, Carlo Ratti Associati, Gross. Max, Nigel Dunnett Studio, Arup, Portland Design, Systematica, Studio Zoppini, Aecom, Land, Artelia, Diller Scofidio + Renfro. According to the winner masterplan, the area is conceived as a model of integration between greenery and the city. It is foreseen the Olympic Village of the 2026 Winter Games which will be transformed into student housing with approximately 1,000 beds. As expected by the strategies defined by the municipality with Politecnico, the masterplan was subjected to observations from the community of citizens and professionals, observations that must be incorporated in the final project. In a nutshell, the development of the area, by almost 190.000 square meters that since 1891 saw the freight yard open to the public and in 1931 the inauguration of the passenger station. The railway station was grafted onto a portion of the Spanish walls demolished in several points, opening the city to its new expansion linked to its industrial development. Nowadays, the area is interested in the reclamation activity undertaken with the elimination of the tracks, still acts as a passer-by station and presents, despite its fragmentation, many elements capable of confirming its identity. However fragmented and incomplete reality, it is still able to offer the narration about itself. "The unfinished, if it constantly tends to overcome itself, has a seduction for every ardent spirit that is equivalent to that of perfection achieved."1 The fragmentation shows voids or lacunae in whose design interpretation they are opposed to the concept of "full"; the idea of "places", opposed to "non-places", offer stimulating suggestions useful for identifying plans and addresses for use and design. They have been read in their building potential and attractiveness, in relation to the political strategies used for their management.