TOUCHED / UNTOUCHED MILAN PORTA GENOVA RAILROAD PARK
TOUCHED / UNTOUCHED Milan Porta Genova Railroad Park , 701 Studio, PennDesign
Studio Project, Individual
This project is based on the idea of touched and untouched layers in landscape. Touched is where the designed moments happen, and untouched is where a project keeps the hints of its site. Touched is important because it’s the way people sense a place, like traditional Chinese garden is designed through different moments rather than a master plan. Meanwhile, untouched is where it keeps hints of a place and enriches the designed layers. Chinese painting uses a lot of blank spaces, because it wants to utilize the paper texture as part of the whole drawing. Landscape design is always infiltrated in a complex context with unique and various information. It includes not only history, culture, geology, hydrology, environment and also experiences. However, many times, those layers and information are covered, abandoned or eliminated through our
Date: 09/2016 12/2016
design. What I want to achieve in every project is using my design operations to uncover and articulate the rich and hidden context of each site. Therefore, the process of design is always a dynamic interaction of untouched site context and touched design moves. By analyzing what’s the important hints and information in this post-industrial site in Milan, I select the old railway as the untouched footstone for spatial and element design. Touched moments are formed by untouched railroad through shape, materials and rules of design. Untouched ecological process, atmosphere, texture is then framed by all those touched design elements. To remind people about the unique quality of this site, untouched field are bought into two major open spaces embedded in the tight urban fabric, the entrance plaza and the
Advisor: Valerio Morabito
waterfront square. By doing this, the project tries to build up an interactive relationship between the touched and untouched layers in landscape, and brings a whole new perception towards the traditional Italian open space.
Idea Map of Milan
REGIONAL MAPPING - WHAT'S UNTOCUHED HERE
The regional mapping is trying to find what's "untouched"
taking this railroad as untouched field is to bring not only the
milestone of this site. To me, the railroad is a crucial hint of
city’s beautiful art, but also the large regional context into
this site's history. Of course Milan has great art and history,
this site. Therefore, the railraod will become the physical
but this railroad is connecting Milan with small towns,
untouched field as well as a reference for design language.
important agriculture filed, eco-region and Ticino River. So
SITE MAPPING - WHAT WILL TOUCH HERE
Taking a site scale look about The condition, surroundings of
Secondly is habitat, since the existing parks around this city
our site, The site mapping wants to find out what will touch
area are mainly composed by just lawns and trees. Thirdly
our site in the future. I think firstly. is program. As we are
is connection. Because of the railroad, this area has a lot of
inside a dense nightlife and art fashion neighborhood,diverse
dead-end points. New connections will be very important to
programs must be a important support for this park.
activate this isolated site.
IDEAGRAM
Through two previous mappings, two different perception
fields with different forms of boundaries, such as bridges,
in this site have been defined, the untouched wild railroad
gates, pergolas, then get to touched field to enjoy diverse
and the touched urban park spaces. This ideagram
programs and finally go into city fabrics.
represents how people will walk through these two different perceptions.People will pass through the wild untouched
SITE PLAN
Based on these ideas, the site plan is defined like this. North
to remind people the unique railroad wildness in this site.
part is the untouched fields, south part is where various
Secondly, I want to change the perception of a traditional
programs touch in site. Connections are built across different
Italian plaza, bring in a fresh new atmosphere into a plaza.
boundaries. Meanwhile, at the square and plaza, I decide
Thirdly, it can provide some eco-functions for the city.
to put two large “untouched� fields, because firstly, I want
OLD STATION SQUARE PLAN
The old station square is in-between dense urban fabric.
ring-shape, which also goes into the old railway station. And
Therefore, the sqaure is defined as a more outward open
design elements are located by the directions of important
space to open up connections and event spaces towards
nodes in city. In the railroad it is about to create small
city. In the station square design, gathering space is put
gardens for neighborhoods and use vegetation to enhance
alongside. The untouched field is in the middle, defined by a
the untouched atmosphere of the railroad.
OLD STATION SQUARE SECTION AXON
Railroad gardes can provide exhibition and show spaces
a fresh new nature into this dense urban fabric, creating a
for art&fashion studios along the site. Old train trunk can
shaded and unique atmosphere for gathering and events. It
be utilized as show rooms. Old station will be transformed
will become a iconic filed in this poplar nightlife area.
as railroad historical museum. Wild untouched filed brings
WATERFRONT PLAZA PLAN
For the water plaza, the space relationship towards city
and retail shops. Platforms are places where people can
has been fliped.It becomes a more inward space. Water
have small groups gathering, reading, picnic etc. It opens
feature plaza takes advantages of Naviglio Grande, forms a
up the interaction with untouched ecological field.And the
coherent waterfront event space. Large pergola becomes
reflection pool can be the attraction when people walking
the boundary inbetween untouched ecological field and
through the existing bridge.
waterfront plaza, where people can have temporal activities
WATERFRONT PLAZA SECTION AXON
Wandering path is connecting railroad garden with urban
event space. Reflection pool is the arrival point of the bridge
spaces. Railroad gardes can provide exhibition and show
, where people can hold diverse events through different
spaces for art&fashion studios nearby. Water features take
seasons.
advantages of Naviglio Grande, forms a coherent waterfront
DESIGN ELEMENTS OF STATION SQUARE
The design elements here are taking the form and materials
when people walk, they can focus on the untouched field,
from the railway. And a small decision made here is, all the
but when they sit, they will look at the city context. Since the
elements around the untouched field is facing outside. So
square is a more reaching-out hub.
DESIGN ELEMENTS OF STATION SQUARE
In the old station museum, large planters are designed
untouched ground, using the industrial materials to trigger
as installations to bring vegetation into the old station
movement along the old railroad. Meanwhile, designed
buidling. Therefore, it creates a seamless transition from wild
elements are attached with ecological and geographic
ecological filed towards indoor spaces. Railroad is kept as
information of this railroad, make it a amphi-exhibition room.
View of Station Square
View of Railway Garden
View of Waterfront Plaza
View of Refelection Pool
STATION SQUARE MODEL
WATERFRONT PLAZA MODEL
REFLECTION POOL / ICE RINK