Bordo d’Acqua

The proposal has been awarded an honorable mention in the international competition The Milan Navigli Canal Challenge in 2022.

Milan has a long history of navigable canals that formed a fundamental part of the city's economy and the growth of the whole region, providing a direct connection between the northern lakes down to the sea. Participants were tasked with conceiving the Milan of the future by envisioning a symbiotic relationship between the city and its historic Navigli canal. Projects were asked to focus on ​​environmental aspects of design for improved urban sustainability - friendly design, mobility, and the relationships between water and urban spaces.

The aim of our new Naviglio system, the ‘Bordo d’Acqua’ creates a green, pedestrian walkway where the element of water is a subtle yet highly important method of protection from surrounding vehicular traffic, that simultaneously supports the integration of indigenous vegetation and sustainable strategies for the improvement of the city’s landscape.

Although it remains predominantly covered, the purpose and objectives of Milan’s Naviglio system persist today – to provide a piece of urban infrastructure that benefits both the Milanese people and its industries. In order to bring back the Canal system in an effective way that would reignite these goals, the proposed design aims to question the method in which we reintroduce the element of water back to the city of Milan. To execute large scale, invasive moves upon Milan’s historic urban fabric would be both intrusive and unsustainable. Thus, the aim of our new Naviglio system, the ‘Bordo d’Acqua’ creates a green, pedestrian walkway where the element of water is a subtle yet highly important method of protection from surrounding vehicular traffic, that simultaneously supports the integration of indigenous vegetation and sustainable strategies for the improvement of the city’s landscape.