Judge Fabrizio Filice has decided to indict world-renowned Italian architects Stefano Boeri and Cino Zucchi. The charges concern irregularities in the international competition for the design of the new European Library of Information and Culture (BEIC) in Milan. The prosecution accuses them of bid-rigging and submitting false statements regarding the absence of conflicts of interest, which allegedly favored the winning design team.

Trial to Begin in April

Judge Fabrizio Filice has scheduled the first hearing for April 17, 2026, indicting 6 individuals.

Bid-Rigging Charges

The main charge is turbativa d'asta (bid-rigging), meaning manipulation of a public tender result through false statements about the absence of ties.

Prestigious Library Project

The case concerns the BEIC, the European Library of Information and Culture project in Milan, a key urban investment of international significance.

The preliminary investigations judge in Milan, Fabrizio Filice, has decided to send to trial a case against leading figures in contemporary architecture. Stefano Boeri and Cino Zucchi, professors at the Politecnico di Milano, have been charged with bid-rigging. The case centers on the construction of the BEIC – a modern European Library of Information and Culture, to be built in the Porta Vittoria district. According to the indictment, both architects, while serving on the competition jury, failed to recuse themselves despite having ties to the group that ultimately won the contract. The system of architectural competitions in the European Union is subject to strict public procurement directives designed to prevent corruption and favoritism towards local design firms. Italy, despite numerous reforms, still faces accusations of a lack of transparency in major urban regeneration projects.The prosecution claims the accused submitted false declarations regarding the absence of conflicts of interest, enabling them to influence the selection of the winning concept. Alongside Boeri and Zucchi, four other individuals involved in the selection process have also been indicted. The first hearing has been scheduled for April 17, 2026 before a Milan tribunal. The architects' defense lawyers emphasize their innocence, pointing to the merit-based nature of the jury's decision. If the charges are proven, it could cast a shadow over the project, which is partly funded by national and European funds. The controversy surrounding the BEIC poses a significant problem for Milan's authorities, as the library is intended to be one of the key points on the city's cultural map. The facility, worth tens of millions of euros, is meant to serve as a center for both digital and traditional access to knowledge. Stefano Boeri is world-renowned as the creator of the "Bosco Verticale" (Vertical Forest), a pioneering tower block planted with vegetation, making this one of the most high-profile cases in the construction industry in recent years. The proceedings will test whether tendering procedures in the Lombardy capital are resistant to influence from powerful academic and professional circles.

Mentioned People

  • Stefano Boeri — World-renowned architect, author of the Bosco Verticale, accused in the BEIC library tender case.
  • Cino Zucchi — Italian architect and lecturer at Politecnico di Milano, accused of conflict of interest.
  • Fabrizio Filice — Preliminary investigations judge (GUP) who decided to send the case to trial.