When visitors arrive at Milan’s central railway station during Expo 2015, which begins in May, they will find a work in progress.
The project, expected to take 6 years and cost 40 to 50 million euro, addresses the entire station, including the Rilevati Ferroviari, which cover 1.5 kilometres to the north of the main station complex, in the Greco neighbourhood.
The work will begin with the Galleria delle Carrozze, the vast space that connects piazza IV Novembre and piazza Luigi di Savoia and looks out onto piazza Duca d’Aosta. The plans, recently made public, are to house luxury stores and boutiques in a glass-and-steel building.
Work on areas closest to the station is expected to be completed in 2015 and will extend retail and food-related businesses across three floors. A 600-place car park will be created at ground level in the Rilevati, without the need to excavate.
The former Magazzini Raccordati, which cover a huge surface area and have been standing derelict for 15 years, will be renovated and repurposed, with facilities for education, sports, art galleries and entertainment.
Plans to improve traffic flow and pedestrian access include adding footpaths and cycle paths.
