OMA bocconi urban campus proposal

‘bocconi urban campus’ by OMA, milan, italyall images courtesy of OMA

in the rapid contemporary urbanization of milan, the bocconi university competition opened the doors for new ideas that would reinterpret the relationshipbetween students, buildings, and the city.  although won by sanaa (see designboom’s earlier coverage here), OMA‘s proposal raises some very interesting concepts as well. the slanting residential towers are the first feature that catch attention, especially from a distance. using a metal A-frame support system,the mixed use structures look as if to be leaning into one another, defining a social semi-covered space in between them.  they are also located on top of the recreation center and act as a backdrop for the theater, mixing leisure, health, social, and educational aspects into the students’ and teachers’ private living quarters.the classrooms exist in an arena elevated above grade, freeing the ground plane for open circulation and socialization. the semi-circular footprint contains severaloverlapping rings that create dynamic relationships between the inward-facing classrooms and study areas, and outward-facing support program and auditoria.the unexpected mix of program and inhabitable elements promote unanticipated encounters between people, events, and architecture. a grid of tall metal umbrellascreate a permeable canopy that protects the exterior space from the hot summer sun and wet winter rainfalls.

view from the top ring of classrooms

underneath the elevated classroom structure

model

site model

elevation

site plan showing relationship to the rest of the campus

floor plan / level 0

section

project info:

partner-in-charge: rem koolhaas associate-in-charge: ippolito pestellini laparelliteam: paul cournet, alice gregoire, ricardo guedes, barbara materia, francesco moncada, pietro pagliaro, silvia sandor, miguel taborda collaborators:structure: buro happold – wolf mangelsdorfmep and sustainability: buro happold – paolo crescilocal architect: studio nonis – fabio nonisurban planning: laboratorio permanente – nicola russitraffic: trm engineering – michele rossicosts: gad – gianpiero aresimodel photography: frans parthesiusrenderings: tegmark