Madrid, seminar “Casa Italia – Madrid Living Lab”

On 13 April 2026, the seminar "Casa Italia Madrid Living Lab" was held at the Italian Cultural Institute of Madrid. It was organised by the Institute in cooperation with the Politecnico di Milano for Italian Design Day 2026, "Re-Design. Regenerating space, objects, ideas".

The seminar, dedicated to the study process for the redevelopment and future architectural transformation of the "Palacio de Abrantes", the historic seat of the Institute in the heart of Madrid, presented the establishment and activities of a genuine urban "living lab", capable of combining heritage preservation with contemporary experimentation.

The event, introduced by the Director of the Italian Cultural Institute of Madrid, Elena Fontanella, was opened by the Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Maria Tripodi, and by the Cultural Counsellor of the Embassy of Italy in Madrid, Antonietta Cornacchia, representing the Ambassador of Italy to Spain, Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi.

Massimo Milani, member of the Environment Committee of the Chamber of Deputies, opened the proceedings, followed by contributions from Jaime González Taboada, President of the Urban Planning, Environment and Mobility Committee of the Madrid City Council; Claudia Porchietto, Undersecretary to the Presidency of the Piedmont Region; and Mario Resca, President of Confimprese.

The academic perspective was presented by Professor Stefano Capolongo (Politecnico di Milano) and by architect Carlo Ratti, who, in his keynote lecture, explored the relationship between architecture and artificial intelligence.