Westfield Milano entrusts One Works with first phase of Segrate Area (MI)

We are pleased to announce that One Works has been appointed by Westfield Milano to develop the first Retail phase of the Westfield area in Segrate (MI), due to become one of Milan’s most innovative urban developments in recent history. 

Since 2022, Westfield Milan, a joint venture between Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield and Stilo Immobiliare Finanziaria (Percassi Group, through Arcus Real Estate), has worked on updating its project to perfectly adapt to the new socio-economic scenarios brought about by the pandemic. This includes radical evolutions in the retail, entertainment, edutainment, and overall lifestyle realms, along with the upcoming changes in the area due to the development of the Porta Est intermodal hub. 

After a months-long consultation process, the decision to choose One Works marks the anticipated start of an ambitious and visionary project, the first of its kind in Italy, serving the citizens of the metropolitan city of Milan, particularly Segrate. The Milanese studio has demonstrated a strong adaptability strategy to the territory and embraced the challenge of creating sustainable spaces that reinvent the way people come together. 

Leonardo Cavalli, Managing Partner of One Works, emphasizes “the shape of the city should revolve around the centrality of open spaces, reimagining buildings as flexible tools that define their quality. The world has changed, viewing urban territory as a concave, welcoming space for all – open, public, communal, and shared”  

Sustainability and low environmental impact represent one of the project’s key strategies, in line with Westfield’s goal of cutting its CO2 emissions by 50% by 2030. This goal is widely shared with the Segrate municipal administration and Mayor Paolo Micheli, who has consistently supported the promotion of a lower environmental impact throughout the project. The entire area, including the first-phase Retail Center, will follow an innovative approach, striking a balance between open spaces and enclosed structures, with a strong focus on green areas and livability. 

Promoting eco-friendly mobility with a priority on pedestrian accessibility over automobiles will bring a new approach, making the project even more innovative and sustainable. The strategic positioning of the area in northern Italy will be further enhanced by a comprehensive infrastructure system, including the planned extension of the M4 metro line, a new railway station, and high-speed connections. 

To ensure active listening and dialogue with the territory and its stakeholders, Westfield Milan has initiated a significant phase of analysing the needs of citizens, institutions, economic stakeholders, and third-sector organizations through a qualitative and quantitative survey conducted by Nomisma. 

The valuable information obtained from this research will inform several functional aspects of the project. Further details and progress will be shared through precise updates as the project advances. Simultaneously, efforts continue towards the completion of essential infrastructure works, such as the construction of Cassanese Bis – with Westfield Milan as the contracting station, investing €150 million – and the development of a new road network to enhance traffic flow in the area, crucial for connecting Segrate with the city of Milan.