The Water Tower , Mailand / Italien

 

TerraViva launches THE WATER TOWER, a new international competition that challenges architects and designers to envision the complete transformation of Milanino’s historic Water Tower into a vibrant cultural hub for the community!

 

Prizes up to 16.000 € will be awarded to the winners, selected by an international jury including Luciano Crespi (Politecnico di Milano), Lidia Arduino (Comune di Cusano Milanino), Luana La Martina (MVRDV) and Michele Cassino (Studio 3Mark), among others.

 

Nestled in the heart of Milanino’s Garden City, the historic Water Tower stands as one of the district’s most recognisable landmarks: currently marked by decades of decay, yet rich with architectural and cultural potential. The Water Tower competition invites participants to reimagine this structure as a contemporary cultural hub, transforming it into a place that is alive, accessible and used daily by people of all generations.

 

The challenge calls for a complete renovation of the tower’s interior and exterior spaces: from flexible cultural rooms, coworking areas and exhibition zones to terraces, micro-plazas and outdoor gathering spaces that complement the building’s new functions.

 

• 1st Prize: 8.000€

• 2nd Prize: 4.000€

• 3rd Prize: 2.000€

• 5 Golden Mentions: coupon for a free membership

• 10 Honorable Mentions: coupon for a free competition

• 30 Finalists: published on Terraviva channels

 

The goal is to envision a project that can reclaim the centrality the building had in the past, seeking proposals that imagine it once again alive, accessible and used daily by people of all generations.

 

How could a vertical structure of this kind serve as a point of reference for the entire neighbourhood, hosting events, creative activities and community initiatives throughout the year?

 

The aim is not merely to restore an abandoned building, but to give it a new identity - one that respects its historical value while embracing experimentation, innovation and contemporary living. Participants are invited to propose original concepts capable of turning Milanino’s Water Tower into an architectural catalyst for culture, creativity and social connection.

 

Two A1 panels (59,4 x 84,1 cm - horizontal) and a brief text describing the proposal (250-500 words).

 

• Lidia Arduino (Cusano Milanino, Italy) | Comune di Cusano Milanino

• Luciano Crespi (Milan, Italy) | Politecnico di Milano

• Lula Ferrari (Milan, Italy) | Lula Ferrari Studio

• Paolo Cesaretti (Florence/Milan, Italy) | Paolo Cesaretti Arch.

• Matteo Scaltritti (Gallarate, Italy) | Semarchitettura

• Luana La Martina (Rotterdam, Netherlands) | MVRDV

• Michele Cassino (Cuneo, Italy) | Studio 3Mark

• Letizia Melzi (Milan, Italy) | Tectoo

 

• Competition Opening: December 12th

• 89 € “Early” Registrations: Dec 12th - Feb 27th

• 109 € “Standard” Registrations: Feb 27th - Apr 10th

• 139 € “Late” Registrations: Apr 10th - April 30th

• Submission Deadline: April 30th, 2026

• Winners Announcement: June 1st, 2026

 

 

The competition is open to students, architects, designers, artists, engineers, urban planners, makers and creatives of all kinds. Participants can compete individually or in teams.

 

TikTok: @terravivacompetitions