Set along the western boundary of the Milano Innovation District (MIND) — a recently developed neighborhood bringing together cutting-edge scientific research and education, business, and leisure facilities northwest of central Milan, Italy — led by Chinese Architect Ma Yansong, MAD Architects has unveiled renderings of a monumental gateway complex.

Named the MoLo (short for Mobility and Logistic hub), the complex is 28.5 meters high with a length of 170 meters and a width of 50 meters. Working together with Architect Andrea Nonni, Open Project, and Progeca, MAD’s design which comprises an outside gross surface area of 68,800 square meters and a surface gross area of 11,195 square meters, brings together several facilities across over 11 square miles. The MoLo was designed to perform as a welcoming entrance and education space for issues related to mobility in which visitors can drop off their cars to explore the district on foot and see innovative transportation technology in person.

With seven levels above ground and one underground, the MoLo includes three thousand square meters of commercial space on the ground floor, as well as laboratories, offices and a supermarket. Visible from nearly all angles, however, the dazzling five-story parking structure is the centerpiece of the MoLo. With a capacity of 1,500 automobiles, the parking structure was designed as a gateway for those arriving from the Rho municipality and other main routes along the western half of MIND. Because the MoLo is situated on the border between two municipalities, the complex design aims to dissolve that separation through a public interchange tunnel crowned by a sculptural set of polished metal staircases.

Like several other projects by MAD Architects — including Gardenhouse in Beverly Hills and One River North in Denver, Colorado — the MoLo is designed as an integration of nature and architecture. The main facades, for instance, will be adorned with lush vegetation that will beautify the neighborhood while capturing airborne carbon. The use of vertical landscaping as a design element also allows the MoLo to visually blend into the verdant landscaping of its surroundings. In addition, an open gallery near the public interchange tunnel that cuts diagonally across the ground floor along the center of the building in an effort to blur the boundary between indoor and outdoor while physically connecting the MoLo to the nearby Rho-Arese park. The ceiling of the gallery is marked by a large cloud-like sculpture that undulates in the direction of pedestrian movement.