When the final athletes depart Milan’s 2026 Winter Olympic Village, the site will begin one of the fastest legacy transformations in Olympic history. In just four months, the 1,700-bed complex at Porta Romana will reopen as Italy’s largest affordable student housing development. This transition is less a renovation, however, and more a planned activation. By prioritising “second life” utility from the initial drafting stage, the project seeks to set a new global standard for how mega-event infrastructure can solve long-term urban housing shortages.
Designed for the legacy
The Village, designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and developed by COIMA, was delivered ahead of schedule with its post-Games purpose embedded in every beam. Unlike previous Olympic projects that relied on temporary solutions and cardboard furniture, the Milan Village was engineered for its final use as student housing from the outset.
The buildings feature high-quality finishes, private bathrooms, and kitchenettes already installed for the athletes. This “second use first” design philosophy eliminates the emissions-heavy process of gutting and rebuilding interiors, ensuring the facility will be open in time for the 2026/27 academic year.
Sustainability at the forefront
The Olympic Village is engineered for peak environmental performance, achieving Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) status alongside prestigious LEED Gold and WiredScore Platinum certifications. This sustainability profile is driven by a fossil-fuel-free energy strategy, utilising high-efficiency heat pumps and a 1 MW photovoltaic system.
The site’s eco-friendly infrastructure is further bolstered by sensor-controlled LED lighting, sophisticated rainwater harvesting systems, and a comprehensive “green mobility” network, including dedicated bike lanes and EV charging stations. As a pilot project for Milan’s Air and Climate Plan, the development serves as a carbon-neutral benchmark fully compliant with EU Taxonomy standards.
Modular infrastructure and adaptive design
The structural integrity of the six residential blocks relies on a sophisticated modular system. Using mass timber and prefabricated façade panels, the architects created “flexible podiums” at the base of the buildings. During the Games, these ground-floor spaces serve as athlete clinics and specialised training zones. Once repurposed, the open-plan design will allow them to be reconfigured into student-centric amenities, including coworking hubs, fitness centres, and cultural spaces.
This modularity extends to the upper floors, where a “linear bar” typology, inspired by Milan’s historic industrial warehouses, provides an adaptable layout that maximises natural light for study in bedrooms.
Connectivity and communal living
The complex has been designed to promote social interactions. Dramatic green communal terraces act as bridges between the residential buildings, serving as outdoor study rooms and gathering spaces.
When students arrive for the 2026 autumn semester, the gravel surfaces required for Olympic logistics will have been transformed into lush, tree-filled green spaces. To mitigate the intense Milanese summer heat, the complex – which incorporates two repurposed historic railway structures – features stacks of open terraces. These are designed to evoke the casa di ringhiera, the traditional “guard rail” buildings iconic to Milan. The design also includes long internal courtyards that provide students with shaded areas for socialising.
Connectivity extends to the ground level, where the Olympic Village Plaza will evolve into a neighbourhood square featuring shops, bars, restaurants, and cafes, along with outdoor space for farmers’ markets and other community events. By mirroring the rhythm of Milan’s existing streetscape, the project ensures that students are moving into a fully integrated urban district rather than an isolated compound.
Addressing Milan’s student housing crisis
While the architectural achievement is significant, the reality of Milan’s student housing market is somewhat daunting. Milan hosts more university students than any other Italian city – approximately 207,000, yet it has a supply of around 16,000 dedicated student beds. While the Olympic Village will add 1,700 more beds to Milan’s housing stock, it meets only roughly 6% of the city’s current demand.
Of the 1,700 available beds, 450 are designated for lower-income students at a subsidised monthly rate of €592, inclusive of utilities. For the remainder of the facility, monthly rents rise to €739 for a shared room and €1,065 for a single room – prices that the developer highlights are 25% below current market rates.
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Keen to know more about Milan and Italy’s student housing market?
GSL’s Executive Meeting Series: Italy on 23 March 2026 in Milan, will bring together investors, developers, and operators to decode where demand is most concentrated, where capital is flowing, and how to navigate the regulatory and operational realities shaping Italy’s next wave of PBSA growth.
Visit our event page for more information and to express interest in attending.
