Context | The project area between history and future
The project area is located in Trento, Italy, and it spreads among Adige river and the main railway that links the city with Austria on the north and Verona and the rest of Italy on the south.
In the years this area has played a marginal role in urban, social and economic changes of Trento. The railway was - and is right now - perceived as a wall, the border between what is city and what is not. So, the area has been forgotten also by Trento's urban planning and the result was a incoherent and messy developement. Barracks, factories, power plants, big sport centres and others activities that city did not want to find place here.
In the years this area has played a marginal role in urban, social and economic changes of Trento. The railway was - and is right now - perceived as a wall, the border between what is city and what is not. So, the area has been forgotten also by Trento's urban planning and the result was a incoherent and messy developement. Barracks, factories, power plants, big sport centres and others activities that city did not want to find place here.
This arrangement of episodes has led to an urbanization that today has neither vocation or identity and is in a worrying stasis. The perceptive and physical barriers, the absence of almost any public transport, abandoned areas and the general situation of continuous waiting makes this area without future.
Program | From barriers to an integrated system
The project area is arranged on a continuous north-south axis physically represented by the railway and via Fersina. It's possible to cross this axis through six nodes that hardly permit to relate and communicate with the city by car. This nodes are:
1 - Railway and bus station;
2 - Via Verdi;
3 - Monte Baldo parking;
4 - Proton Therapy Centre;
5 - Sports Centre Palatrento;
6 - Motorway junction Trento sud - Il Marinaio Centre.
1 - Railway and bus station;
2 - Via Verdi;
3 - Monte Baldo parking;
4 - Proton Therapy Centre;
5 - Sports Centre Palatrento;
6 - Motorway junction Trento sud - Il Marinaio Centre.
This nodes could be the ones that rule and organize the entire area, but the poor developement of infrastructures and the further barrier of Fersina river split the area in separate entities. The construction of the new Hospital N.O.T. to replace the abandoned barracks "D. Chiesa" is waiting for almost ten years, and right now there is only a huge void made by the early demolition of old barracks. Furthermore, also the barracks "G. Pizzolato" are abandoned in expectation of a new military complex planned more than 15 years ago and now canceled.
Among these voids and non-functional zones, the fast road network is impeding the birth of a social dimension made by slow flow and local relations. Therefore, a new interpretation of transports, lentghs, sounds and commuting is needed, starting from the six nodes.
Among these voids and non-functional zones, the fast road network is impeding the birth of a social dimension made by slow flow and local relations. Therefore, a new interpretation of transports, lentghs, sounds and commuting is needed, starting from the six nodes.
Concept | A green, smart and free flow network
The completation in 2013 of Le Albere neighborhood by the archistar Renzo Piano brought a renewed attention and enthusiasm towars this area. The intervention replaced the big Michelin's factory with a brand new district of cultural activities, houses, shops, etc., suggesting what potential is hidden in an abandoned complex. So, the project analyzes the building heritage, selecting what it could be recycled and what it would be better disappear. Therefore is possible to act small but punctual, spread consistently in the area, and in a way that enhances pros and values hidden until now.
Every node assumes a precise meaning and function, with a precise identity: intermodal/infrastructural, cultural, technological, hospital, sports. Every istance is an attractor and a chance to relate directly with the city, it becomes a landmark capable to catch the attention of the main stakeholders.
While the six nodes shape a new link, axis reinvent connections, hosting a protected network suitable for pedestrian and cyclist as done by peopleforbikes.org. Furthermore, in case Metroland and the railway "Progetto Alta Capacità" will be realized, existing rails could be used by tram-trains on a narrow-gauge railway, capable to separate from the old paths to run electrically powered along the new axis. The possibility to rejoin the national railway network on the south could create an integrated system with Verona-Brennero, Trento-Malè and Valsugana lines. Similar experiences has been realized positively in Karlsuhe, Nordhausen, Zwikau and Kassel (Germany) and on the T4 line in Paris.
At the same time the fragmentation and the lack of communications are solved with a green network capable to re-link the river and his city. Parks, paths, small forestry and urban farming are the new way to live city and nature as an unicum.
The activation of the nodes as pulsating centres of this new area makes alive also the identities found during the survey. They are:
- Node 1: intermodal (new bus station, SS12 Piedicastello junction)
- Node 2: cultural axis
- Node 3: technological (new tech and informatic centre)
- Node 4: sanitary services (N.O.T. - Proton Therapy Centre)
- Node 5: Sports Centre
- Node 6: intermodal (new intermodal parking, SS12 Trento Sud junction)
The activation of the nodes as pulsating centres of this new area makes alive also the identities found during the survey. They are:
- Node 1: intermodal (new bus station, SS12 Piedicastello junction)
- Node 2: cultural axis
- Node 3: technological (new tech and informatic centre)
- Node 4: sanitary services (N.O.T. - Proton Therapy Centre)
- Node 5: Sports Centre
- Node 6: intermodal (new intermodal parking, SS12 Trento Sud junction)
Vision | Three shots of future
In the area of the decomissioned power station, a new synergy by new library, the new tram-train station and the urban farming permits to give a new strong identity. Then new social and dynamic spaces are generated in order to make young people meet: this urbanscape is an arrangement of spaces of life, relations, interchanges, meetings. Finally, a riverside forest helps to mantain and preserve the river ecosystem and is a natural side scene for the new public forum.
Process | From ideas to reality
Set the stage, reinvent the city, regreeneration, plug 'n' play: these are the slogan which we can synthesize the activation process of nodes.
In set the stage will be torn down all those buildings that have not the necessary quality; it will be also take place the process of public acquisition of all the lands needed for the link axis. With reinvent the city we intend the operation of architectural recycling and the start of reconversion of public lines, with a three years of works expected for the majority of the operations. Regreeneration is the phase of shaping all the green areas, including levees and forest. Then, plug 'n' play is not more than the final activation of links and of all the architectural elements. It' is expected a further period to get up to speed of all mechanism, to let the green grow, to make this area something common for all the people. We expect no more than 20 years from the start of the project to reach the goals, to get an awesome and outstanding urbanscape, to make dream comes true.
