Centroparco Milano

MAST was engaged by the Municipality of Segrate to transform the former sand quarry into a new central park, connecting the disparate surrounding neighbourhoods and offering a new destination for the residents of Milan to retreat into nature, 

The 1km wide, 60m deep sand quarry has been inactive for years, leaving behind a unique landscape encircled by industrial remnants and overgrown vegetation. MAST’s proposal envisions a series of buildings along the lake’s perimeter, linked by a public walkway and a cluster of islands floating at the centre of the lake 

The buildings, which were envisaged as small nodes along the branching wooden walkway, include a spa, a restaurant and a boat rental station. The spa and boat rental station will be built on floating foundations providing access to the crystal clear lake water despite the fluctuating water levels, which can vary by up to 2 meters depending on groundwater levels and rainfall. 

The boat rental station will offer low-power electric boats for visitors to navigate the lake and discover the floating forests at its centre. The largest of these islands includes an elevated ampitheatre at its centre offering a unique location for performances and public events. the smaller islands, which are moored to the lake bottom but allowed to drift within a limited radius, provide a unique place for picnics and private events. A fine dining restaurant perched on the rim of the lake with a panoramic view over the islands. 

The buildings will be pre-fabricated using timber portal frames and will be clad entirely in locally sourced timber which will be left untreated to fade over time and settle into the natural surroundings.