Architecture Walk with Green Towers and Micro EV | 建筑漫步&微型电车

From Porta Garibaldi to Porta Nuova in Milan, I had a nice stroll that was full with architectural gems, both historical and contemporary. Now, let me show you some of the cool buildings along the way.

As you can see from my photo here, the grand city gate with the Neoclassical arch is the Porta Garibaldi. It was first constructed to honour the arrival of Francis I of Austria in 1825. It was rebuilt in the years that followed, and in 1860, it was dedicated to the legendary commander Giuseppe Garibaldi. The neighbourhood is teeming with stylish fashion boutiques, sidewalk cafés, and modern art galleries.

As you approach Piazza Gae Aulenti, a lively and bustling plaza, you will see a commercial zone densely packed with skyscrapers. Among these, the UniCredit Tower is the highest structure in both the city and the nation of Italy. César Pelli designed it, and when the spire was added in 2011, it reached its maximum height of 231 metres. Many large corporations, including Pirelli, Techint, AlfaRomeo, Versace, and Internazionale, have their headquarters here.

The two iconic green towers drew my eye as well. The Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) are two residential towers near the Porta Garibaldi railway station. They are covered in lush greenery. I adored this unique and eco-friendly masterpiece. Apart from appreciating the vertical gardens from the ground, you can go up to the nearby Biblioteca degli Alberi (Library of Trees), a park that complements the sustainable concept.

Another "green" thing I enjoyed is the lovely EV Microlino. An early model was on display at the Webidoo store, and the friendly staff let me sit inside to try it (only sitting and touching, to be more accurate :)). It’s just about 2.5 metres long and 1.5 metres wide, yet it felt rather large inside. There is also a trunk capacity of 230 litres, which is enough for "three crates of beer," according to the manufacturer. Finding parking on the narrow streets will be considerably easier. When passing by Zurich last year, I asked the startup if I could arrange a test drive, but it was not yet ready. If you want to book Microlino right now, you'll still have to wait around a year.

从米兰的Porta Garibaldi到Porta Nuova，散布着各色新老建筑，现在就跟我一起来看看一些沿途的建筑吧。

我照片里那座新古典主义城门就是Porta Garibaldi，建于19世纪，名字来自大将军朱塞佩•加里波第。走到Porta Nuova那边的商业区就会看到很多现代摩天大楼，其中231米高的联合信贷银行大厦是意大利最高的建筑。范思哲、国际米兰、倍耐力轮胎、阿尔法罗密欧等大牌根据地都在这块区域，塑料也是上世纪50年代在这里诞生并得到推广的。

还有火车站附近的两栋居民楼同样显眼，名字叫Bosco Verticale，意为“垂直森林”，阳台和楼顶都布满郁郁葱葱的绿色植物，从这块地区的建筑群中脱颖而出。

最后我还在一家店里看到可爱的小电车Microlino，只是展示早期的原型，可以坐进去看看摸摸，但是不能开出门。Microlino在瑞士设计研发，在意大利生产，外形小巧圆润，从前门爬进去坐下来感觉有点奇特。虽然看起来很小，内部空间倒不觉得局促，相比一些跑车坐起来舒服许多。大小只有一般车辆的三分之一，在闹市区停车会很方便。

去年经过苏黎世时就发邮件过去问能不能约个时间试驾，得到回复说团队还没准备好。这次问店员，说如果现在预定的话，也还要再等一年左右才能提车。初创公司的艰辛，真是深有体会，又赶上这刚过去的魔幻几年，估计挺不容易的。今年初看到布村也开了一家店，等有空再过去试试。

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