Parco Industria Alfa Romeo Portello

Parco Industria Alfa Romeo Portello spreads across 65,000 square metres of Milan, on the grounds of the former Alfa Romeo factory. The design came from the landscape architect Charles Jencks, and the park opened in December 2012, reaching completion in 2022. It belongs to Milan's green rays, a system of pedestrian and cycle paths that stitches the city together.

Three artificial hills divide the space, each one carrying a different chapter of time. The S-shaped Prehistory hill shields you from street noise and curves around a large reflective pond. Its spirals recall galaxies and speed, a nod to the site's automotive past. A crescent-shaped History hill separates the Time Garden from everything around it. The boldest gesture waits on the Present hill, where a double helix path climbs to a summit 22 metres above the ground. At the top, a fountain stands beside a metal sculpture of DNA, both honouring the theme of life.

In the Time Garden, white and black slabs chart the Earth's rotation and the slow turn of the months. Other elements trace the lunar cycle, and a few follow the waves of a heartbeat. From galaxy spirals to heartbeat waves, one subject runs beneath your feet: time itself, mapped onto the ground of the old factory.