Milan airports management company SEA and construction company Costim have revealed plans to transform the area adjacent to Italy’s Milan Linate Airport into a smart district called Linate Airport District (LAD) with large green spaces and new buildings. The area will be open to passengers and locals.
SEA’s €130m Linate Airport District
The aim of this project is to regenerate a previously restricted service area and transform it into a publicly accessible space with direct access to the Idroscalo artificial lake via the new M4 line that reaches Linate.
Costim will invest more than €130m (US$140m) to complete the project and will manage it until the end of the concession period. The Linate Airport District will be included in the works to be handed over to the Italian state at the end of the concession period, on the same terms as other airport infrastructure. Preliminary activities are expected to begin as early as 2024.
As outlined in the airport masterplan, this new area will feature: a square with new service facilities, creating large interconnecting spaces with approximately 14,000m2 of urban greenery; a four-star hotel with 220 rooms to serve airport passengers and the surrounding area; and an office and service buildings totaling approximately 24,000m2, modern and sustainable, meeting the highest standards of quality, sustainability and comfort for all users (LEED and WELL certified). One of these buildings will house SEA’s administrative staff, now grouped in a single location, together with new offices for the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC).
The urban regeneration project, covering an area of approximately 38,000m2, will be developed by the special-purpose vehicle Chorus Life Linate (wholly owned by Costim, a company controlled by the Polifin Group under the sub-concession contract as the developer of the regeneration works) and will be inspired by the ‘ChorusLife’ concept. This “district of the future” model has been designed to promote sustainability, sharing and socializing, combining services and offering benefits to both airport functions and LAD users.
Sustainable design concept
With its proximity to the M4 Linate underground station, which is just a few stops from the city center, LAD will be accessible to everyone, including airport operators and all Milan residents. The project will make it possible to connect the airport to captivating ‘green and blue’ scenery, represented by the Idroscalo and by large green areas, offering opportunities for recreation and relaxation for Milan residents and others.
The design concept – devised by Costim’s Development division together with the Tectoo architecture studio – aims to enhance the presence of water and greenery in the urban context, emphasizing nature and the quality and usability of spaces, partly thanks to the system of cycle and pedestrian paths interspersed with public squares and meeting places.
“With this project, we are completing the restyling of Linate,” said Armando Brunini, CEO of SEA Milan Airports. “After the new layout of the terminal and the new technologies we have invested in – the latest of which is Face Boarding, to make boarding procedures faster and more practical – the Linate Airport District completes the services offered by the airport. We are improving the spaces and infrastructure for our employees and all other airport operators, making them accessible also to all citizens. In addition, this area will provide a direct link between the Idroscalo and the city, which will be easily accessible by underground without the need for a car.”
“We are enthusiastic to bring the experience and know-how of the ChorusLife Bergamo model to the new and ambitious LAD project in Milan. Costim is committed to the regeneration, development and management of an area with spaces that encourage sharing and socialization between passengers and the surrounding community, also thanks to the extensive transport infrastructure system that will connect the project to the city center,” said Davide Albertini Petroni, CEO of Costim. “The LAD will be equipped with innovative technologies such as the smart grid system and a digital platform for the management and use of technological services and facilities, ensuring a highly sustainable and interconnected environment.”
In related news, Milan Bergamo Airport (SACBO) in Italy recently began further expansion works with investment in a terminal enlargement, the northern apron and taxiway, and the construction of a train station that will serve a direct rail connection to Milan Centrale Station. Click here to read the full story