A nine-year journey that today saw the laying of the first stone: the new Consulate General of the United States will be built at the former shooting range, in Piazzale Accursio, and will be a new piece in the urban mosaic of the Milan of the future. The project aims to redevelop an area of approximately 40 thousand square meters with a budget of 351 million dollars which is estimated to have an impact on the Lombard economy of approximately 65 million. The completion of the works is scheduled for 2025.
“We have involved numerous Italian companies in the various design phases of the restoration works of the main historic target shooting building – explained Robert Needham, Consul General of the United States in Milan, in his speech at the start-up ceremony of the construction site that took place this morning – We acquired the area in 2013 but once the project was awarded in 2018 the various phases moved faster. The new Consulate General represents an exciting chapter in our relationship with Milan and Northern Italy, I hope the Milanese are also enthusiastic about it. We hope that once this project is completed it will be able to attract other investments for an advantageous and sustainable urban development for the neighborhood ».
The complex that will arise will take into account the substantial characteristics of Italian architecture, respecting the soul of the historic buildings present, which have become famous for their Art Nouveau style, to the point of making them the subject of period postcards and advertising. However, this attention to tradition will be combined with attention to sustainable aspects: photovoltaic systems and different methods of water and energy conservation will in fact allow to save 43 percent of annual energy costs, as well as systems for collecting rainwater that will feed irrigation systems. For the mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, the “green” aspect should be the number of future projects in the Lombard capital: “I am happy with the ways in which this consulate will be built because we cannot have an urbanization that does not take into account the sustainable values, ”said the mayor at the ceremony. Sala also recalled the historical importance, for democratic values, of the area on which the new structure will rise: “The location is significant: it was here that five partisans were shot by the Nazi-fascists on December 31, 1943. They were killed because they were fighting for the same values that the Ukrainians are fighting for today. In Milan we have a high number of consulates and this aspect is not only a source of pride: it also brings us many advantages thanks to the social and economic relations with the various countries. For example, the works for the construction of the new complex will employ 500 people in our area ».
The project, for which in 2017 the Bureau of Overseas Building Operations (Obo) of the State Department commissioned the SHop Architects studio in New York, one of its objectives also has the redevelopment of the neighborhood: “The new headquarters will give a new face to this area of Milan, enhancing innovation as an instrument of openness and inclusiveness – said the president of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana – At a time when the ideals of the West and of peace-loving countries are being questioned by a ‘cowardly and brutal war aggression, it is essential to recover the value of the Alliances that unite us and to remember how much the sharing of the principles of freedom and democracy connotes the meaning of our being together ”. In the new complex there will also be space for a permanent collection of works of art with paintings, photographs, works made with beads and sculptures by US and Italian artists. These include a contribution by Beverly Pepper, an American artist famous for monumental metal sculpture, and a sculpture by Haas Brothers.
The Palazzina Liberty will offer various spaces for exhibitions and events, as well as a bar that will pay homage to the historic café that once stood in the same spot: “The start of work on a new building, designed and built specifically to house the consulate general in Milan , it took a long time to materialize – said the Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Rome Thomas Smitham – This new chapter is part of a long history, which embodies the broad and profound historical links between our two countries “.