The Di Porta project was shortlisted among international entries in the Milan Navigli Canal Challenge organized by Bee Breeders in collaboration with the Riaprire i Navigli Association and Primitivo Studio Milan.
CDP International’s proposal reimagines Milan’s lost canals as a contemporary urban journey one that reconnects the city to its water heritage through architectural follies, linear landscapes, and adaptive reuse of industrial relics. Drawing inspiration from the historic cranes that once lined the Darsena, the project transforms them into vertical landmarks and elevated observation points, symbolizing a dialogue between Milan’s industrial past and its cultural future.
The design establishes a continuous pedestrian path that threads through key nodes from the Navigli Park to the Archaeological Park integrating seating terraces, shaded promenades, and thematic landscape features. Each intervention celebrates proximity to water and the rhythm of movement along the canal, creating moments of social encounter and reflection.
By combining interpretive design with infrastructural logic, Di Porta positions the Navigli not only as a restored waterway but as a civic narrative — a living framework of memory, culture, and renewal.
