Photos: One of world’s largest rooftop arrays in Italy to host 73,000 sqft of solar panels

The Danish architecture firm BIG—Bjarke Ingels Group—celebrated a major milestone during Milan Design Week 2025. The team topped out CityWave, a 459-foot-long (140-meter-long) solar canopy in Milan’s CityLife district.

The massive structure spans two new office buildings and is set to become one of the world’s largest solar photovoltaic systems in an urban setting. 

BIG worked with Atelier Verticale to design this final addition to the CityLife master plan.

The canopy has a smooth catenary curve similar to a suspension cable. It’s covered entirely in solar tiles, forming a sleek and futuristic silhouette over the courtyard buildings. This bold structure signals a shift toward more climate-aware design in central Milan.

“What we have attempted here is to resist the temptation to add yet another tower to the already majestic urban ensemble of CityLife,” said Bjarke Ingels, as reported by Designboom. “And rather create a truly inviting urban space as a gateway to this new neighborhood.”

CityWave is expected to be completed in 2026.