MLA 701 / A RAILROAD PARK IN MILAN

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