Certosa

In the heart of Milan’s Certosa district, between reconverted industrial buildings and new forms of urban creativity, a green courtyard takes shape, bringing new life to a space once entirely paved. The project restores identity to a place suspended between industrial memory and everyday use, transforming it into an open and permeable landscape.

The initiative stems from the collaboration between RealStep, active in the district with several regeneration projects, and Parcnouveau, the landscape practice known for its vision of “landscapes for people”. Their shared approach focuses on creating spaces that encourage social interaction, community, and a sense of belonging. The synergy between a developer rooted in the territory and a studio attentive to the human dimension has generated a virtuous model of urban regeneration, where outdoor space becomes a tool for cohesion and well-being.

The landscape design preserves traces of the site’s past while reinterpreting them through a contemporary language of sustainability and simplicity. Materials play a central role: concrete and steel pathways evoke the rails and beams of Milan’s industrial heritage; gravel softens transitions and invites a slower, more sensory experience; reclaimed wooden sleepers and porphyry define thresholds and gathering areas, ensuring continuity and warmth.

Across the courtyard, pathways alternate with tree-filled clearings and small green plazas, shaping a mosaic of atmospheres. These spaces – some intimate, others more open – adapt to different moments of the day: quiet corners for morning solitude, convivial settings at sunset, and gentle backdrops for music and social life in the evening. The planting strategy is not decorative but functional, improving microclimate, absorbing sound, and enhancing comfort.

Vegetation weaves through the site’s industrial traces, softening their presence and creating a natural link between the functions surrounding the courtyard: the nightclub, the bistro, and the CoFactory. This interplay between greenery and built elements defines the renewed identity of the place – an urban landscape made more fertile, welcoming, and shared.

Together, these spaces form a small ecosystem where production, culture, and social life intersect. The new Certosa courtyard becomes the vibrant heart of a regenerated setting, where Milan’s industrial memory finds a greener and more human expression.