Milan
The millennium gateway
The challenge
To design a luminous urban landmark for Milan — a monument capable of marking the turn of the millennium in the city’s public space, serving as both a strong daytime presence and a memorable nighttime spectacle.
The design response
An arch featuring a tubular steel structure covered in a laser-microperforated carbon fiber skin. By day, light diffraction creates the illusion of changing movement depending on the viewing angle. At night, the arch transforms: spotlights graze the pillars, light intensity varies with every passing moment, and in total darkness, a “sun” rises — turning from red to yellow, then white — before moving out of frame and reappearing at dawn.
- Category: Iconic Architecture / Luminous Urban Landmark
- Location: Milan, Italy
- Expertise: Concept, project development, engineering
- Awards: Winner of the international architecture competition
