AssetID: 55727534
Headline: Futuristic monastery with giant 'sail' roof planned for Milan
Caption: A striking new monastery featuring a sweeping sail-like roof has been unveiled for Milan. Designed by Italian studio Stefano Boeri Architetti, the futuristic complex will sit in the Milano Innovation District (MIND) - the former site of Milan Expo 2015 - and is intended to become a hub for spiritual reflection. The design takes inspiration from a traditional Christian cloister, reimagined with contemporary architecture and open public spaces. A slim canopy will wrap around the site, forming a covered walkway surrounding a central garden intended to welcome visitors from the surrounding neighbourhood. The roof then rises dramatically above the church, curving upwards into a sail-like form that reaches its highest point over the altar. Inside, the church will have space for up to 350 worshippers and will be enclosed by translucent wall panels designed to fill the interior with soft natural light. The wider monastery complex will also include a library, study rooms, community areas, an open-air amphitheatre and five residential spaces. Plans also feature a publicly accessible green roof displaying sculptures from the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano - the organisation responsible for preserving Milan Cathedral. "We intended to shape the new Ambrosian Monastery with a unified and open architecture, whose spatiality would represent the embrace of the new church," said Stefano Boeri Architetti founder Stefano Boeri. "A contemporary monastery, designed to meet the needs of a pluralist society and to promote social cohesion, interreligious dialogue, and the production of knowledge."
Keywords: feature,photo feature,photo story,Milan monastery,Stefano Boeri Architetti,sail-like roof,Ambrosian Monastery,Milan architecture,Milano Innovation District,modern church design,interfaith dialogue,cloister design,contemporary monastery,Italian architecture,translucent church walls
PersonInImage: