Renzo Piano Foundation

The Foundation has inaugurated a new headquarters in the heart of the Leonardo campus in Milan, on the first floor of the Nave Building. The space hosts a library, the "Renzo Piano Architetto 1964 - 1977 Archive" and flexible spaces dedicated to laboratory activities, study, meetings and lessons, to directly bring young people closer to the experience of over 60 years of "making architecture " by Renzo Piano and his collaborators and traveling companions.

Material Testing Lab

The Testing Lab for Materials, Buildings and Civil Structures of the Politecnico di Milano performs tests on materials and structures for research and teaching purposes as well as on behalf of third parties.

The Lab is equipped with test apparatus and measuring instruments for mechanical testing with forces from 0.01 N to 5000 kN. Activities include testing of structures and structural elements, chemical-physical and mechanical testing of building materials. The Lab is accredited as an Official Laboratory according to the Italian Law n. 1086/1971 and the DPR n. 380/2001 for the certification of testing on construction products.

Textiles Hub

Textile Architecture Network (TAN) is founded in 2008 and based at ABC Department. The work focuses on clustering different skills and knowledge on innovative textile materials and polymers available in different Departments of Politecnico di Milano. The operative main focus is on developing the technological advancement of technical textiles applied in different areas of interest, and  promoting development of lightweight materials and constructions in architecture (tensile, membranes, inflatable systems, Fiber Reinforced Plastics, etc.), teaching students, spreading knowledge among wide public with a vision to improve the built environment  through innovative application of flexible and lightweight materials, users' comfort, experience, building quality and sustainability.

Labora

The laboratory, making use of the skills of professional model makers, offers consultancy in the design and creation of presentation models to the master’s degree students and makes available to them machines for cutting and sanding wood and for processing expanded plastic materials, numerical control instruments, 3D filament printers and a bright classroom where you can work on creating your own model.

LaborA’s virtual theatre is an infrastructure consisting of a seven-meter diameter cylinder which, through simultaneous projection on the cylinder’s inner surface and on the floor, allows several people to simultaneously view models in an immersive environment.