Milan Olympic Village Built With Mass Timber, Completed Ahead of Schedule

Global architecture firm Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM) has unveiled the Athletes’ Village for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, completed 30 days ahead of schedule, dezeen reported (10-10-25).

The complex in the Porta Romana district comprises six mass timber residential buildings and two restored historic structures, designed to serve as athletes’ housing during the Games before being converted into student residences.

The 30-month construction project includes 40,000 square meters of green areas, community spaces, and sports courts, and was developed by COIMA. SOM partner Colin Koop said the team aimed “to design a project that is purpose-built for one usage, and that then will transform for another permanent purpose—and to do so in the most sustainable and urbanistically responsible way possible.”

Located on a former railyard, the project references the site’s industrial heritage and Milan’s broader urban fabric through a “porous urban block” layout that incorporates public pathways.

After the Games, the village will become Italy’s largest affordable student housing community, offering 1,700 beds in time for the 2026–27 academic year. COIMA CEO Manfredi Catella said the project “sets a new benchmark for sustainability—not just in terms of its low environmental impact but for its enduring legacy after the Games.”