This territory was previously occupied by an exhibition complex, but in the mid-2000s it was moved to the outskirts of the city, and it was decided to turn the territory into an area of mixed development. In the near future, skyscrapers and other structures will be built there according to the designs of Arata Isozaki, Daniel Libeskind and Zaha Hadid. These buildings will be surrounded by a spacious park, the plan of which was developed by Gustafson.
Her competition project was titled "A Park Between Mountains and Plains," referring to Milan's location between the Alps and the fertile plains of the Po Valley, on the busy trade route between the Apennine Peninsula and Central Europe, which has defined the city's prosperity.
The park will be a "microcosm" of the landscape of the Milan region. In its center there will be a Piazza, Belvedere, Butterfly Garden and sculptures, which will be connected by paths and ramps running along various forms of relief. The terraces will house cafes and restaurants, trellis rose gardens, etc., and three CityLife skyscrapers will be connected to the congress center by a pedestrian bridge. In the northern part of the park, an amphitheater and zones for holding exhibitions and celebrations will be built, a garden "Foothills of the Alps" will be laid out, groves of pines and oaks will be planted. A beech forest, Fountain Square, Plain Garden, Maple Plantation, Market Square will appear in the southern sector.
The second place in the competition went to the Portuguese bureau PROAP with the project "The Best of Both Worlds", the third prize was awarded to Atelier Girot from Zurich for the work "Polyana".
