Snøhetta announced as the winner in a competition to design Milan's first-ever green district

Snøhetta has been announced as the winner in an international competition for the reimagining of a former slaughterhouse complex in the Ex Macello area near the Porta Vittoria station in southeast Milan.

The Oslo and New York-based firm won for a design called Aria which will inject new life into the debilitated site with a carbon-negative scheme that emphasizes social, economic, and environmental sustainability. 

The master plan aims for several LEED certifications in the form of a "socially conscious urban destination capable of responding to the needs of the existing social fabric through hybridization of functions," according to a press release. 

This goal is accomplished in part thanks to 36,000 square meters (388,000 square feet) of photovoltaic panels and a plant-lined greenspace called the Air Factory that will aid the project in keeping with local Milanese climate guidelines as well as the sustainable development goals set out by the United Nations. 

30,700 square meters (330,000 square feet) of existing space will be refurbished to ensure the rich cultural legacy of the neighborhood remains intact. Affordable housing and a new 600-bed student dormitory combine with an open-air theater to give the development a more democratic feel.

"This is the way to make Milan grow together with the great cities of the world," Milan Mayor Beppe Sala told Domus.

Overall the Aria plan aims to reduce around 52% of construction-related emissions compared to BAU. The project has no announced realization date at press time and is expected to cost around €500 million ($592 million).