A2A's Power Hub

Park designs A2A’s Power Hub in Monza: an essential yet highly recognisable piece of architecture that redefines the archetype of the service station in the electric era, transforming it into a place where contemporary architectural language, technological innovation and regenerative ecology are deeply integrated. The project stems from the client’s need to strongly express its “circular” vision in the physical realm as well: a flagship capable of communicating values, guiding behaviours and restoring landscape quality to an infrastructural node at the city’s gateway. To respond to this vision, the project’s genesis is based on an approach that considers the ground not as a passive support, but as an active partner. In this sense, the intervention works on the site’s ecological regeneration through low-carbon material choices, permeable surfaces and planted areas, building without altering the soil’s balance and promoting natural water management. At the heart of the project is a circular canopy entirely made of laminated timber – twelve ribs anchored to a central core – integrating a photovoltaic system on the roof. The slightly conical plane collects rainwater through an internal downpipe and channels it into dedicated tanks, feeding the minimal irrigation of a low-maintenance dry garden. Composed of a modular set of wooden elements, the canopy allows geometries and inclinations to vary according to solar orientation and context. Conceived as a dismantlable and reconfigurable system, it maintains a consistent architectural language and strong brand recognisability. The landscape is conceived as a green gradient that carves out only the space strictly required for parking and manoeuvring. Grass-reinforced grids and permeable paving reduce heat-island effects, limit pressure on infrastructure networks and improve microclimatic comfort. With this hub, Park reaffirms a design vision grounded in measure and attentive listening, making simplicity a performative value: a clear, site-specific gesture capable of transforming infrastructure into experience.