At Open House Milano 2025, visitors found themselves ‘In A Relationship’ with the city, as the title of this year’s festival nudged them to reimagine their connection to the past, present and future of Milan. This unique framing seamlessly integrated with the continent-wide 2025 Open House Europe theme, ‘Future Heritage’.

Whether in the intimate settings of private houses with their fascinating features and hidden details, awe-inspiring redevelopment projects such as the Piazzale Loreto, or the sombre Casa della Memoria preserving the civic memory of the Italian resistance movement, the colourful palette of emotions in this year’s festival won the hearts of visitors and asked them to consider what their responsibilities in this relationship might be, so it may continue to flourish and bloom for future generations. In total, the programme had 14 buildings that reflected the Future Heritage theme.

Aria – Ex Macello

A significant example of this dialogue between past and future was the inclusion of Aria – Ex Macello. This Ex Slaughterhouse for meat processing, and part of the general markets, is one of the most significant projects for the redevelopment of Milan’s “industrial and productive” heritage from the early 1900s. The area, which has been abandoned for a long time, will become a hub for students, universities, and social housing. ARIA is the urban regeneration project that will transform the Ex Macello di Porta Vittoria, abandoned for over twenty years, into a new neighbourhood, reconnecting the site with the surrounding urban fabric. ARIA is set to be a place to live, with more than 1200 new social housing apartments at subsidized rates, alongside public green spaces, commercial activities, and local services.

Casa della Memoria

The imperative of preserving civic identity was reinforced by the selection of the Casa della Memoria. We chose to include the Casa della Memoria project in the European programme because preserving the civic memory of the Italian Resistance liberation history is part of the museum heritage that this generation wants to leave to the city. The building also architecturally expresses the importance of preserving memory and history. The institute is dedicated to the values of freedom and democracy that underpin our civil life, with an architecture that speaks to the city with its mosaic facades, and hosts five historical associations.

Piazzale Loreto

Finally, looking directly into the evolution of Milan was the Guided tour to the new project for Piazzale Loreto. This is one of the main projects of redesigning one of the main urban planning hubs. The guided tour, led by a journalist of the magazine Abitare, brought visitors to the Square to understand the project and how it will positively change the city. The visit aimed to help visitors understand, together with the architects, the logic of one of the crucial projects in the evolution of Milan.

Through these diverse sites, Open House Milano successfully translated the ‘Future Heritage’ concept, encouraging a crucial, ongoing relationship between Milan and all those who inhabit it.