The Darsena, built in the 17th century, is closely related to the Naviglio Grande, a unique work of medieval hydraulic engineering in Europe which characterised environment, life, transport and commerce in Milan. For example the marbles of the Milan cathedral came by boat, by the will of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, from the quarries of lake Maggiore to the small lake of Sant’Eustorgio, which later became the Darsena.

The Darsena of Milan

Transports on the Navigli and the darsena lasted until 1979, when a failed project for an underground car park caused the area to come to a state of abandon. The redevelopment of the darsena is one of the many projects related to EXPO 2015. With this intervention, the darsena comes back to life and again becomes a symbol, as it was in the past, of the city of Milan. The project was conceived by the architects Edoardo Guazzoni, Paolo Rizzato, Sandro Rossi and by the Studio Bodin&Associés, and entailed the restyling of the ancient urban harbour, with the renewal of the banks and the redefinition of adjacent spaces for sailing and wandering.

Light Nova

'Light Nova' was used for the redevelopment of the Darsena, too. The lighting fixtures are installed on the large posts with suspension brackets located in Viale Gorizia, near the Naviglio Pavese. The Milan-based utility company A2A extended the area, in which Nova luminaires are being used, to this prestigious part of the city. Nova luminaires were already installed in many places that are symbols of the city, from the railway Station to the Sforza castl, from the Porta Garibaldi to the Basilicas Park, from the Piazza del Duomo to Brera.