The New BEIC – European Library of Information and Culture – is a strategic project for Milan and a new cultural landmark rooted in the values of knowledge, innovation, and European openness. Located on the site of the former Porta Vittoria railway yard, between Via Cervignano and Viale Molise, the library plays a key role in the urban regeneration of Milan’s eastern district, completing the system of the new Porta Vittoria Park.

The project aims to create a next-generation library hub that integrates research, experimentation, and digital culture in close collaboration with universities and local institutions. The BEIC is conceived as a public infrastructure for the dissemination of knowledge and a tool to bridge the digital and educational divides.

The masterplan is organized into coordinated areas:

• Area 1A: hosts the main library building, positioned along the southern edge of the site to free a large public space to the north, connected to the park.

• Area 1B: designed as a green extension of Porta Vittoria Park.

• Area 2: transforms Via Cervignano into a pedestrian and cycling axis, creating new connections toward the Ex-Macello area, future home of the “ARIA” project and the IED campus.

The BEIC building is envisioned as a strong urban landmark — a compact, iconic volume. The recessed, transparent ground floor forms a civic threshold to the city, while the upper metallic skin folds near the entrances in a gesture of welcome. Green terraces and a panoramic rooftop offer spaces for reading and open-air gathering. The striped paving pattern, inspired by former railway tracks, preserves the site’s industrial memory while projecting it into the future.