Central Station, Milan

The surfaces of the monumental interior spaces of Milan Central Station, built to a design by Ulisse Stacchini in the 1930s, are partly clad in natural stone and partly in decorative concrete imitating travertine and Nabresina stone, two of the most commonly used cladding stones inside the building. The rich decorations of the Carriage Gallery, the Ticket Hall and the Head Gallery, currently undergoing restoration as part of the “Grandi Stazioni” project, present significant consolidation and safety issues, especially with regard to the decorative concrete components, with particular reference to the vaults, which are made up of prefabricated elements that were then installed using suspension systems. The technical consolidation and maintenance activities, although part of current practice, present critical issues in relation to the monumental size of the building and the different conditions of conservation. The executive activities also involved the need to operate while allowing the ordinary use, in safety, of one of the most important infrastructures in the country.