“Il viaggio, la sezione, e l’intervento” (The journey, the transects and the interventions).
7006MARCH/2 Group Report
CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION TO GENOA
1.0 INTRODUCTION
2. ANALYSIS
2.0 TOPOGRAPHY
2.1 POPULATION OF GENOA
3. DEVELOPMENT OF SCHEME
3.0 URBAN DESIGN THEORY
3.1 CURRENT GENOA
3.2 MASTERPLAN OBJECTIVES
3.3 APPROACH
4. URBAN STRATEGY
4.0 STRATEGY
4.1 THE FIVE LAYERS
4.2 GENIUS LOCI AND AREAS OF INTERVENTION
4.3 THE TRANSECTS
4.3 THE VISION
5. THE FUTURE 5.0 PHASING 6. APPEN DIX
6.0 SUSTAINABILITY
6.1 COSTING
6.2 DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
6.3 BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. 1.0
INTRODUCTION TO GENOA INTRODUCTION
Genoa is the capital of Liguria and the sixth largest city in Italy. The city of genoa is located in the north west of Italy, situated within Italy’s industrial triangle about 75miles south of Milan. Genoa is the capital of the Liguria region and the sixth largest city in Italy, which occupies a narrow coastal plain sandwiched between the Golf of Genoa (Ligurian sea) and the western slopes of the Apennine mountains. Genoa, which forms the southern corner of the Milan-Turin-Genoa industrial triangle in Italy, is one of the country’s major economic centres. Genoa played a pivotal role in the Italian economic miracle in the postwar years. Genoa has been nicknamed la Superba (“the Proud one”) due to its past and noteable landmarks. The city’s cultural history in particularly its art, music and cuisine led it to become the European Capital of Culture in 2004. The city has hosted large shipyards and steelworks since the early 19th century, with a financial sector that dates back to the Middle Ages. In the late 19th century and the early 20th century, Genoa consolidated its role as a key seaport and an important steel and shipbuilding centre. Genoa suffered heavy damages during World War II, from naval and aerial bombings. The city was liberated by
the partisans just a few days before the arrival of the Allies. Fig 1. Genoa and its wider context
Since 1962, the Genoa International Boat Show has evolved as one of the largest annually recurring events in Genoa.
THE PORT OF GENOA
The city of Genova covers an area of 243 square kilometres between the Ligurian Sea and the Apennine Mountains.
HISTORICAL CITY CENTRE
Genoa’s historical city centre is known to be one of the most densely built in Europe, a situation that started in the 18th century with a general increase of building heights due to delayed growth of the town outside the city walls. Such density has a profound effect on the revitalization policies that have to take into account that, at least from a sanitary point of view, a major part of the Old Town is uninhabitable below the third floor. These conditions have in turn affected the real estate values that are often extremely low and have resulted in both a marginal use of the area and the use of it as a reference point for all immigrants.
The city stretches along the coast for about 30 kilometres from the neighbourhood of Voltri to Nervi, and for 10 kilometres from the coast to the north along the valleys Polcevera and Bisagno. The territory of Genova can be divided into 5 main zones: the centre, the west, the east, the Polcevera and the Bisagno Valley.
The Port of Genoa is the major Italian seaport on the Mediterranean Sea. With a trade volume of 51.6 million tonnes, it is the busiest port of Italy by cargo tonnage. The port is also used as a dismantling station and has been named as the port where the Costa Concordia is to be dismantled.
Fig 3. Historic representation of Genoa
The Port of Genoa covers an area of about 700 hectares of land and 500 hectares on water, stretching for over 22 kilometres along the coastline, with 47 km of maritime ways and 30 km of operative quays. There are 4 main entrances: Eastern inlet, affording access to the old port, to the shipyards, and to the terminals of Sampierdarena Western (Cornigliano) inlet, used mostly by ships operating at the ILVA quays Multedo entrance, for ships operating in the oil terminals and to the Fincantieri shipyards
Genoa has a Mediterranean climate and is also a windy city, especially during winter when northern winds often bring cool air from the Po Valley.
Pra’ entrance, at the western end of the port, for ships operating at the container terminal
Fig 2. Historic Maps: Genoa’s Density & Change Fig 4. The Port of Genoa
The old harbour, “porto antico”, is the ancient part of the port of Genoa. Renzo Piano redeveloped the area for public access, restoring the historical buildings (like the Cotton warehouses) and creating new landmarks like the Aquarium, the Bigo and recently the “Bolla” (the Sphere).
2.0
ANALYSIS
2.0 TOPOGRAPHY
Although divided into five districts, Genoa covers an approximate area of 94 square miles, stretching 30km along Italy’s coastline with typical north Mediterranean topography. Its mountains peak between 600-1000 meters high, near to or directly by the coast. It is essential to understand Genoa’s topography and its density; the city squeezes into the curvature of the port, fitting the majority of the urban fabric into a relatively confined, steep, naturally occurring ‘amphitheater’. A sequence of varying landscapes rapidly transition from sheer cliffs to smooth hills, that eventually rise up into the Apennine and Alpine Mountain ranges. Much of the surrounding topography has influenced Genoa’s complex urban form, which in time has created a balanced form between environmental conservation and the needs of its residents. Genoa’s development from a small fishing village into a major trading network flourished, as a result of maritime prosperity and a strong commercial society. This economic flourishment took place within the context of the fractious political environment; allowing genoa to concentrically grow from the harbour, in a densely packed unplanned pattern, constrained by defensive walls and ultimately the complex topography surrounding the city.
To understand Genoa more intimately, both plan and section should be read together, as the city plan fails to reveal rich interplay between the topography, the built environment, and the dramatic verticality of the city. Genoa is a city of layers; spaces that stack up next to each other causing spatial conflict and tension. A city formed as a consequence of strong topographical features; a portal between land and sea, “the hinterland tells its story though this prodigious work of man being pushed and pulled by topography causing conflict.” The section of this landscape reveals the response to the topography; the strong sense of vertical space of the streets in the historic core. Numerous examples of urban form share Genoa’s density, narrow streets and irregular street pattern, which is obvious in plan, but irregular in section. Tall story buildings are positioned close together, creating spatial conflict, but are balanced by the spatial quality of local intimate spaces that have a collective sensibility, layered on increasingly steep hills raising from the waters edge.
5
2.1 POPULATION OF GENOA
Genoa has a population of 588,688 within the city limits, with a much greater 1.5 million in the greater metropolitan area, making Genoa one of Europe’s largest cities situated on the Mediterranean Sea and the largest sea port in Italy.
Fig 5. Photographs of model showing the varying topography of our area of interrogation, Genova.
In regards to understanding Genoa’s population structure, it is key to analyse the demographics of the city. A population pyramid of age, sex and marital status aid in the overall understanding of Genoa’s population which contribute to many factors; social, economical and environmental. The pyramid categorises resident’s ages in five year intervals, ranging from birth to one hundred years positioned along the Y axis. The X axis shows mirrored bars with males (left) and females (right), with different colours of percentage showing their marital status: unmarried, married, widowed and divorced.
Fig 6. Photographs of model showing the varying topography of our area of interrogation, Genova.
Initially, it can be suggested that Genoa in recent years has been in the process of de-population. It could be argued that this has been caused by three main factors that are commonly seen in economically developed countries; Flow birth rate, long life expectancy and a shrinking economic population. This can be seen in (fig 8) as the top half of the population pyramid becomes top heavy; suggesting that much of Genoa’s economic work force is becoming forever smaller, leading to an increased aging population which can contribute to negative economic activity, which influences a city Gross domestic product (GDP).
Fig 7. Image taken in Genoa
It can also be suggested that Genoa’s population has been affected by many other major events which affect the vast majority of Genoa’s population; economic crashes, migration and the happening of World War two. Factors such as these contribute to the ever changing population of Genoa, but more importantly the demographics that influence the overall population.
Fig 8. Diagram suggesting de-population of Genoa
3.
DEVELOPMENT OF SCHEME
Fig 9. Conceptual Section of Genoa
3.0 URBAN DESIGN THEORY The city of Genova is effectively compressed between mountains and sea, thus the condition was interesting and complex enough to propagate diverse types of contextual analysis be they typographical, topological and even experiential, and the development of the masterplan came about from an in depth analysis of the site situations via a transect study.
Numerous issues affecting the urban fabric of cities can be remedied through Architecture, for architecture determines the shape, function and aesthetic quality of buildings that make up our collective experiences of ‘place’.
Fig 10. Node diagram
Urban analysis of the site transpired through varying mapping excercises. Nodes, Landmarks and Edges were analysed and this allowed for a better understanding of density, social context and spaces where people would gather (Fig 10) This exercise allowed us to trace significant routes through the site which we thought would be interesting to work on. The mapping exercises led to a discovery of linear routes that hit varying nodes and landmarks, but also cut through very different parts of the city from a topological aspect, and this then led to a more detailed transect analysis of the site, utilizing Alexander Van Humbolt’s transect theory (Fig 11) that states that everything has it’s place in nature.
Fig 11.
Alexander Van Humbolt’s transect theory
Patrick Geddes’ “Valley Section From Hills to Sea” (Fig 12) which studied life from the mountains, through land and finally to water. “The valley section depicts an ideal regionalurban condition, whereas the Notation of Life embodies concrete architectural proposals how to realize that ideal condition. Geddes expresses in the valley region that Enlightenment theory of social evolution that describes mankind’s development through the four stages of hunting, pastoral, and agriculture toward commercial societies.” (Marshall, 2013). The transect, itself and in the case for Genova works as a masterplanning tool that guides potential placement and form of buildings in the urban and rural landscape, allocating uses and densities, whilst appropriately detailing civic spaces relative to the context and set habitat.
Fig 12. Patrick Geddes’ “Valley Section From Hills to Sea”
Team 10’s ‘Doorn Manifesto’ reinterprets Geddes’ valley section as more of a modern topological and typographical analysis tool. The manifesto states “Communities are the same everywhere.” (Smithson, 1974), stating that varying places or ‘groupings’ could be shown in relationship to their environment in the reinterpreted Geddes Valley Section (fig 13). The Manifesto combined with Christian Norberg-Schulz’s ‘Genius Loci : Towards a phenomenology of Architecture’ influenced the transect study and how one would respond to the mixture of human occupied environments and more natural environments. The cross section indentified a set of habitats that vary by their level and intensity of urban character - a continuum that ranges from isolate to dense urban, and “this range of environments is the basis for organizing the components of the built world: building, lot, land use, street, and all of the other physical elements of the human habitat. In each human habitat along the rural to urban Transect, “immersive” environments are created - places that have an integrity and coherence about them because of their particular combinations of elements.” (Dpz.com, 2016)
Fig 13. reinterpretation of Valley Section
Fig 13. Patrick Geddes’ “Valley Section From Hills to Sea”
Our reinterpretations of the ‘Doorn Manifesto’ in relation to the topography and typography of Genova.
Fig 14. reinterpretation of Valley Section
3.1 CURRENT GENOA
Looking at Genoa as a whole, the mountain, land, sea transect allowed us to look at how Genoa was formed pragmatically. From looking at Genoa in plan, we wanted to form an analytical study of an area of Genoa that is currently fairly delapolated and in need of improvement. There have been recent efforts put into the development of the eastern part of the port, surrounding the historical city centre, and we felt that there was a lack of connectivity and activity in and between the other port terminals outside of this area. Site visits led us to the San Teodoro Municipality. The original core of this district is detectable in the Fassolo area, just outside the sixteenthcentury walls, which had formed a country street; inhabited by fishermen and laundresses families.
Fig 16. Genoa in plan showing UNESCO heritage areas, places of worship, palaces and current infrastructure.
There are several mule tracks to the hinterland from the port areas, which assist the typical villages of wayfarers. In this particular area of San Teodoro, sits one of the oldest pathways in Genova.
Fig 15. Mountain - Land - Sea
Fig 17. San Teodoro Municipality in relation to the rest of Genoa.
Fig 18. Selected ‘finger’ of analysis.
3.1
CURRENT GENOA Fig 19. Infrastructure predominant in Genoa
The infrastructure in Genoa is currently particularly dominant. A highway and a dual carriageway follow the shape of the port and have a big impact on the spacial and aesthetic quality of the port area of the city. Predominantely, the buildings facing this main road consist of local shops, markets, and restaurants/cafes. Directly behind this delapolated retail frontage, the main bulk of this particular strip of analysis consists of residential accomodation. South of the road, Ponte Cristoforo Colombo, the site remains relatively vacant though acts as a point of access for ferries and inports/exports and is run by industrial activity.
Ponte Cristoforo Colombo
Mercato Dinegro
Vecchio Residenziali
The ‘Ponte Cristoforo Colombo’ is home to Ferry Terminals and is an access node in the horseshoe of Genova. As of current, accessibility and dilapidation is an issue as one can see from the photographs of the site.
The ‘Mercato Dinegro’ is part of the local cooperative of markets in the Genova region. The Dinegro open’s weekly from Monday to Tuesday 8:30 - 12:30 and then from 16:30 19:00. The market is home to freshly baked bread and pastries, fish, seafood, local fruit and vegetables, frozen foods, cured meats, and fresh meats.
Genoa is a hidden beauty, shy and introverted. You have to enter the doors of the houses to discover what Genoa really has to offer. Residential blocks are prominent here.
La Serra
Terreni Agricoli:
Cimitero Della Castagna:
Forte Tenaglia:
The greenhouses located on Via Amadeo Pescio are of great importane as Ligurian agriculture has increased its specialisation pattern in high-quality products (flowers, wine, olive oil) The value of flower production represents over 75% of the agriculture sector turnover, followed by animal farming (11.2%) and vegetable growing (6.4%). The greenhouses are used to grow flowers, basil and other fresh vegetables.
The horticultural company Floricolalberto is a firm that grows potted flowering plants along the ridge of Salita Degli Angeli, with many species sourced from the surrounding areas situated on the Albenga Plains northwest of Genoa. Many of the plants selected are most suited to the Mediterranean climate to ensure healthy growth and guaranteed longevity, once passed on the the end user.
Cimitero Della Castagna is located within the north west sector of the San Teodoro district. The cemetery is classified as full and many can argue the cemetery has been abandoned for the last 30 years, with much needed restoration which has been estimated to cost 5 million Euros.
The site was originally occupied by the Bastia di Promontorio, a fortress which dates back to 1478. The name Tenaglia comes from the shape of the fort, described as an “Opera a Corno” a claw or pincers-shaped building, which acted as one of the main city defences until the fort was Permanently abandoned by the Army in 1979. The positioning of the fort is very prominent on the hill side, adjacent to the Castagna cemetry and can hardly be seen from our selected route.
Sketches showing general typologies of this area of Genoa:
Aside from the local retail units facing the main road south of the area of analysis, the strip of residential units following the eastern side of this strip occupy retail units on the ground floor; most of which are run down.
Fig 21. Typical residential block with retail ground floor found in the Town.
These different land uses are clearly divided, mainly by the infrastructure that runs south of this area of analysis (dark grey on Fig 20) The configuration of the land uses are also clearly shaped by the topography of the site. The mountainous topography restricts development, which means that the structures that currently sit on the site are more densley inhabited.
Fig 23. Diagram showing the nodes and landmarks that one would currently hit when taking this route from start to finish.
Fig 20. Land Use map of Genoa Fig 22. Typical typology of a house situated in the Hamlet.
3.2
We propose a sensitive approach to the traditionality and history of Genova, creating a series of interlinking interventions and mediations on both a small and large scale. This aims to enhance, not change Genova. After all, according to the locals*, the city works fairly well as it is, but could do better.
MASTERPLAN OBJECTIVES
Adapatbility is key in designing for future cities. Our masterplan aims to tackle the idea of the fixed city, and create a masterplan that is malleable for the future covering housing, open spaces, commercial plots, leisure, education and green. Conventionality, traditionalism and relctance to embrace the imminent has kept the future of Genova at a standstill. Whilst the government are trying to push a new Genova, one of increased tourism and job prospects, they fail to realise that Genova is still very much in the past and until this is addressed the city will continue to descend into a downward spiral of destitution, with even more young people moving away for a better way of life.
smart cities.
Work with the existing infrastructure and propose better, greener ways for people to move.
Regenerate the port area to boost e m p l o y m e n t opportunites
GENOA MASTERPLAN
WHAT THE CITY OF GENOVA IS LOOKING FOR: - Integration on ALL levels, social, economic, infrastructural etc.
Establish a strong identity for the city of Genoa
- Increased tourism. - A consistent and durable branding. - Better Infrastructure. - Gain Investor’s Interest in Genoa. - Job Creation.
Fig 24. Conceptual diagram outline masterplan outcomes
Create new spaces to foster an overall development: not strictly economical, but able to enhance the social & cultural standing of the city.
Establish what makes a ‘liveable, healthy city’ and use these to shape a strong masterplan
Create pockets of ecological intervention in the city
Work with both old & new, to create a city that fosters its heritage but also looks to the future.
LIVEABLE Providing a higher quality of living, creating accessible places for people that offer varying activities and spaces. SMART GENOVA Redefining what constitutes as a livable city. Redesigning and re-engineering parts of the city as a catalyst for a larger regeneration project, maximizing citizen well-being. AUTHENTIC CITY Aims to offer a unique and diverse cultural community experience through thoughtful and strategic architectural interventions, piazzas, city transport connections, industry, and neighbourhoods.
“The aim of urbanism is comprehensibility, i.e. clarity of organization. The community is by definition a comprehensible thing, and comprehensibility should therefore be a characteristic of the parts. The community sub-divisions might be thought of as ‘appreciated units’ an appreciated unit is not a ‘visual group’ or a ‘neighbourhood’, but anin-some-way-defined part of a human agglomeration. The appreciated unit must be different for each type of community... for each particular community, one must invent the structure of it’s sub-division.” Smithson.A , Team 10 Primer
ENERGY Pioneering a low carbon goal with utilisation of the existing fabric and minimum demolition. OPPORTUNITIES Creating more opportunities for its inhabitants through africulture, industry, retail, infrastructure so that locals continue to reside in the area, with the view of rebranding the city, expansion and progression. CONNECTED CITY Social connectivity: Utilising currently delapolated and disused spaces to attract people through this forgotten area of Genova, removing informal bouondaries and allows people to move with more freely and contemplatively. Fig 25. Diagram showing areas of intervention
Fig 26. Conceptual diagram showing proposed interventions=
3.3
APPROACH
Activation and extension of a current route enables a route to, and beyond, Fort Tenaglia, which intensifies the current social and spacial relationship in each area of Genius Loci.
Using nodes along a journey from the sea to the mountains of Genova, we mapped out a route that we feel elucidates the Genius Loci of the city. From the reflective nature and stillness of the mountain tops, to the community driven residential area, to the bustling and energetic port area.
The accumulation of the cultural pockets within our urban strategy provide informative way-points for navigation along the route via walkability.
This project ultimately aims to understand and explore a vertical section of Genova and work to improve small to large nodes via mediations along the route, which would establish a simple design guide as to how to better the city.
The production of node diagrams created the initial areraa positioning of the pocket zones through analysing areas within each typology and seeing, through definition, what each area was in need of to maximise its productivity. The spatial composition of each intervention is that of a sensitive approach, whereby the current urban fabric is utilised and enhanced upon.
The interventions aim to maximise the potential for each classification, which embraces the way of life that currently occupies this area of Genova. Re-activation of spaces following the existing route transform and intensify the Genius Loci effect and aim to improve the way of life for the residents that inhabit this forgotten area of Genova.
“connectors - bridging elements - links - transitional spaces - intermediary spaces - that are the stitch up between one building and another, one district and another; in each case a space dedicated to the change of pace. The pause-space in towns and villages may be almost nothing, only enough to require some small action acknowledgement as does the cottage gate - of transition that allows a person to sense where he is and what he is about.”
“ ONLY ARCHITECTURE THAT CONSIDERS HUMAN SCALE AND INTERACTION IS SUCCESFUL ARCHITECTURE...” -Jan gehl
Fig 27 & 28 Sketches showing examples of subtle improvements that aim to enhance the Genius Loci effect throughout this area of Genova.
Fig 29. Sketch showing subtle interventions, namely the market
Alison Smithson & Peter Smithson, Team Ten Primer
4.
URBAN STRATEGY
IL VIAGGIO, LA SEZIONE, E L’INTERVENTO “THE JOURNEY, THE TRANSECTS AND THE INTERVENTIONS”
4.0
STRATEGY
Using the theoretical precedents and the information gathered during the transect analysis studies we were able to section the site into specific micro environments and analyse these further in a bid to strengthen what exactly made these habitats what they were, and what made them different to the other spheres along the site. In essence, this spurred a master plan that cuts through five different sequences of environments, allowing a person walking to experience all five whilst along that one singular route. As well as working as an experiential tool, the prescribed urban pattern is therefore based on, theoretically, finding the proper balance between natural and human-made environments along the isolate-to- urban lineae transect.
The characteristics are shown in Fig .. with the most quiet and least dense, shown in yellow, with the most human populated and dense shown in burgundy.
Fig 30. Masterplan Proposal
Fig 31. Figure ground plan
4.2
4.1
GENIUS LOCI OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF GENOVA AND INTERVENTIONS
THE FIVE LAYERS THE ISOLATE.
As the masterplan was about strengthening and defining the different senses of space one can find in Genova, ‘Genius Loci’ was a continuing and very important aspect of the project. Genova has three very distinct characteristics being, mountain, land and sea, and these three different characteristics can be identified clearly by analyzing it’s figure ground, and Schulz notes that, “Settlement and landscape therefore have a figure-ground relationship. In general any enclosure becomes manifest as a “figure” in relation to the extended ground of the landscape.” (Norberg-Schulz, 1980). Fig 31. shows the change in figure ground density from The Isolate to The City, with The Isolate being least dense, and The City being most dense, meaning the interventions to enhance each micro environment would differ widely, for example the human mediations in the city would be much more intense as opposed to the village or the hamlet, where the site begins to become more rural and more dominated by the natural elements.
The different characteristics along the route have been broken down and defined into five specific categories as described below:
ISOLATE: “A person or thing, which has been or become isolated.” (Oxford Dictionaries | English, 2016) HAMLET: “A small settlement, generally one smaller than a village, and strictly (in Britain) one without a church.” (Oxford Dictionaries | English, 2016)
TOWN: “A built-up area with a name, defined boundaries, and local government, that is larger than a village and generally smaller than a city” (Oxford Dictionaries | English, 2016) VILLAGE: “A group of houses and associated buildings, larger than a hamlet and smaller than a town, situated in a rural area” (Oxford Dictionaries | English, 2016) CITY: “An inhabited place of greater size, population, or importance than a town or village.” (Merriam-webster. com, 2016)
Fig 32. Sketch of the current Fort Tenaglia
Both the beginning (The Isolate) and the end (The City) of the Genova scheme are considered vast, momentous and edifying in both very similar, and very different ways as they are the two most ‘extreme’ micro-contexts in the whole master plan. The Isolate micro context, in it’s vastness, is awe inspiring. One could argue that although the isolate, which is named as such due to lack of any architectural or human intervention, is actually not isolating in it’s emptiness but rather could be experienced as a place of self realization because of the lack of human mediations on the site. Simple mediation that was concerned with meditation and self realisation would be highly appropriate given the tranquil nature of the area. The proposed viewing tower would allow one to look at Genova as a city and appreciate it’s beauty from one of the most quiet and peaceful places one could. In a bid to lessen the human foot print on the site, the proposed tower sits in the old “Forte Tenaglia”, allowing visitors to also appreciate the historic and well as natural essence of the site.
Fig 33. Section showing “The Isolate”
Fig 34. Sketch of the current Hamlet area
THE VILLAGE.
THE HAMLET. The Hamlet is where one could feel the human pace of life slowing down, particularly along the route.
The village is the middle ground between the more rural locations on the route and the more dense and busy locations on the route. The community aspect of the village needed to be strengthened, using architectural interventions to drive the notion of locality and commonality.
The way of living is more holistic here, with the area being home to a lack lustre flower market (Liguria’s top export are Flowers), the ‘Cimitero della Castagna’ and a few homes. Because of the pleasant slower pace of life, our interventions here aim to strengthen the micro context of The Hamlet. With a better integrated Flower Market that now expands to the area surrounding the Cemetery, a space has been created for quiet introspection that also takes advantage of the artisan lifestyle, whilst encouraging and strengthening it.
Fig 36. Sketch of the current Village
The Village is home to scattered residential blocks, with a proposed fruit and vegetable orchard for public picking and consumption. We propose to add a facility whereby the residents can gather together and thrive in community led activities. Fig 35. Section showing the cemetery and “The Hamlet” Fig 37. Section showing “The Village”
“Economic, Social, Political and cultural intentions have to be concretized in a way which respects the genius loci. If not the place loses it’s identity.” (Norberg-Schulz, 1980)
THE TOWN.
THE CITY. Fig 40. Sketch of the current port area
The town works as an extention of the city, with the current area being undersold and not working as well as should.
Fig 38. Sketch of the current “Town” area
The ‘City’ is non existent in the Ponte Cristoforo Colombo, with the area currently housing an industrial use and is a poor arrival point into Genova.
The main intervention here is the extension of the mercato di negro out onto the old market square; giving back a sense of community to an otherwise disconneted area of Genova. The proposed market space features a new crossing for pedestrians that allows for a safe thoroughfare to the proposed megacity structure on the Ponte Cristoforo Colombo. Current retail here will be rejuvinated to provide more revenue and intends to attract more people to this area of Genova. The town is also home to a family of greenhouses that will be used to supplement the mercato di negro and also other markets in the commune, and also provide jobs in the area. The greenhouses will be expanded so that more work opportunities arise for the residents that inahbit the proposed route.
A proposed ‘floating’ city has been devised to shun individualistic architecture, and echoes what works well in the old town of Genoa and other larger cities in Italy. The city of the Genoa masterplan is respectful to the genius loci of Genoa as a whole, and has been developed more individualistically. In the Genoa scheme, the city is a monument to economics, politics, movement and power. This is reflected in the scale, density and height of the buildings.
Fig 39. Section showing “The Town”
“Space commands bodies, prescribing or proscribing gestures, routes, and distances to be covered… Monumentality… always embodies and imposes a clearly intelligible message… Monumental buildings mask the will to power and the arbitrariness of power beneath signs and surfaces which claim to express collective will and collective thought.” (Parker Pearson and Richards, 1994). The proposed ‘city’ is placed on a slab that sits on pilotis on top of the current Ponte Cristoforo Colombo, allowing all vehicular and train movement to continue working effectively and away from nodes where pedestrians gather. The City is geared towards the professional side of Genoa with spaces for offices, retail, residential with
Fig 41. Section showing the proposed “City”
4.1
THE TRANSECTS
Fig 42. THE ISOLATE
Fig 45. THE TOWN
Statement of Intent A brief introduction to “Il viaggio, la sezione, e l’intervento” (The journey, the transects and the interventions).
A straight line or narrow section through an object or natural feature or across the earth’s surface, along which observations are made or measurements taken. - Oxford Dictionary definition
Fig 43. THE HAMLET
Fig 46. THE CITY
The group master plan focuses on the notion that, by studying an area of linearity within Genoa intensely, and analyzing the city via a series of horizontal and vertical transects, one is able to dissect problematic sites and highlight areas of interest. This form of analysis forms a master plan that cuts through five different topographical characteristics, enabling the person walking this route to experience all five whilst walking. This allows one to feel different senses of space along a 2.3km path. Genoa is a city placed between two extremes: The mountain (The Isolate), and the sea (The City). These conditions propagate diverse types of contextual analysis; be they typographical, topological and experiential.
Fig 44. THE VILLAGE
Our resolution for the master plan sensitively responds to its environment, both culturally and contextually, and has encouraged the re-shaping and strengthening of the genius loci of each of the different transect areas, namely: Isolate, Hamlet, Village, Town and City. This allowed us to understand how different each ‘place’ could be enhanced and to be able to really recognise the definitions of each place. This encouraged us to respond with relevant architectural and topological interventions that would solidify and strengthen the different senses of space along the route.
4.2
THE VISION
5. 5.0
THE FUTURE PHASING
INITIAL ROUTE/ DESIGN GUIDE
PHASE ROUTE 2
PHASE ROUTE 3
PHASE ROUTE 4
PHASE ROUTE 5
The masterplan is split into five phases that progress over time to continue the development of Genova, whilst reinventing the district as an established, desirable place to live, work and play. Initial Route / Design Guide The initial phase is to redevelop the route that lay in the San Teodoro district, and once this phase is successful, use it as an exemplar to better other areas in Genova by means of nodes, landmarks and walk-able routes. Routes 2 - 5 Routes 2 to 5 of the project propose to re-weave the fragmented urban fabric of Genova, improving the areas where there are significant nodes and landmarks. Route 5 is of particular importance due to it working with transport as a means of improvement, this being the old furnicolare, which would aim to encourage citizens to visit the Forte Begato which sits to the far right of the Forte Tenaglia in the exemplar route. This web of connectivity would hopefully work to redefine and regenerate Genova.
Fig 47. Phasing plan showing Genoa at its maximum degree of development
6. 6.0
APPENDIX SUSTAINABILITY
OVERVIEW “Il viaggio, il transetto e l’intervento” was designed as a response to topological and contextual analysis of Genova. At the forefront of the design is social and cultural sustainability as well as environmental sustainability, with the masterplan working as a potential design guide to help weave the frayed threads of Genova’s urban fabric back together, binding them and creating a city that works successfully and is well connected with each micro context, in a wider context. Environmental sustainability is also an important part of the project, particularly because of Italy’s reluctance to confront it’s environmental problems.
1989. In the 1990s Italy had the world’s tenth highest level of industrial carbon dioxide emissions, which totalled 407.7 million metric tons per year, a per capita level of7.03 metric tons” (Nationsencyclopedia.com, 2016) The master plan aims to reduce air pollution by encouraging the act of walking. The scenic route to the mountain / isolate takes one hour and four minutes (fig) , and mostly only accessible by foot rather than by car, the city area is only accessible by bike or foot, again aiding to reduce air pollution and encourage a greener way of living. The proposed green pockets on the site also work to mitigate the heat island effect on the city.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY The major environmental facing Italy are: - Air pollution - Water Pollution - Flooding
issues
In regards to air pollution, “United Nations sources estimate that carbon monoxide emissions increased by 12% in the period between 1985 and
Fig 48. Diagram showing Time taken to walk the scenic route from the city to the isolate.
Water pollution is another important environmental issue in Italy, “The nation’s rivers and coasts have been polluted by industrial and agricultural contaminants and its lakes contaminated by acid rain.” (Nationsencyclopedia.com, 2016) the masterplan encourages planting of more trees native to the site such as, Pines, Downy oaks, Holm oaks, the common oaks and mountain ash, to help with drainage, and to decrease the surface water run off into the Ligurian Sea. This planting would also help to decrease the flooding risk of the area, although from fig... one can see that the site, which is in the San Teodoro district, is only really affected by flooding in the south west of the area, towards the Ponte Cristoforo Colombo, as a means of tackling this issue, balancing ponds as part of the patches of green in the ‘city’ area work to alleviate the flooding and also add to the attractiveness of the area.
SOCIAL & CULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY Regarding the social and cultural sustainability of our scheme, we have used the existing urban and rural context to redefine micro contextual spheres along the site. The route itself works as a method which cultivates the social sustainability and the longevity of Genova for the current residents and future generations. The viewing tower in the isolate, placed within the fort, encourages a pilgrimage like journey from the city to the mountains, allowing people to really take in the beauty of the city in a historic context.
Fig 49. Encouragement of walking, cycling and use of public transport concept
The community spirit of the hamlet and village areas works to stimulate social interaction and understanding between the diverse cultures of the areas; with the goal of improving community cohesion by connecting people through a holistic means such as farming and growing flowers, fruit and vegetables for the whole community.
According to the ‘Genova Urban Lab’, a document detailing the ways in which Genova is growing and could grow in the future, there is a gap for a more integrated and accurate segmentation strategy in regards to how Genova as a whole is run, and the way the masterplan has been designed, gives the city as a whole a more structured standing. The Genova Urban Lab also identifies the Port area as an area where large scale interventions should happen, in a bid to redefine the waterfront as a world class destination, “The most relevant regeneration project was the waterfront redevelopment of the Porto Antico, together with the regeneration of the Centro Storico, both conducted by the studio of Renzo Piano, which have had a direct effect over the Genoa ́s attractiveness as a tourist destination.” (Genoa : Genova urban lab, 2012)
Fig 51. Cohesion via the extended cultural and food markets.
low flood risk medium flood risk
Fig 50. Flood risk assessment of Genova
high flood risk
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody” Jane Jacobs.
Fig 52. Community spirt & Orchard initiatves
The masterplan echoes and attempts to fill these gaps by continuing the notion of the waterfront being a worldwide destination and a strong point of arrival from the sea, with the potential for a large market square, luxury retail and higher end residential, these mediations would increase the land value of the area, therefore potentially attracting investors and stakeholders.
6.1 COSTING
Due to the nature of our urban design strategy, it is important to consider the costing in the same way as our response to Genoa’s urban fabric. The transect from portside to the surrounding hills, allows the costing strategy to be analysed in a way that permits clear planning proposals that are categorized within each phase of the master plan. In taking this strategic approach, this will attract an array of investors that are backed by Genoa’s local government and funding from the European Union. The idea of better integration enables a clear vision for genoa’s local government, which is supported by many planning documents and capital investors, which leads the idea of Genoa becoming a smart city, improving the quality of life through sustainable economic development, based on research and innovation led by the local government. This has allowed the establishment of Genoa’s smart city association (AGSC) which secures city investment addressing the following categories. •citizen`s needs •political vision & strategic planning •academia`s creativity •businesses’ marketing strategies •job creation opportunities •regulatory systems •funding opportunities
Furthermore, CityLogo is just one organisation situated in Genoa that analyses place- brand management, which is important to consider throughout our design strategies costing. Initially CityLogo was launched by the city government to react upon ‘common Gaps’ within Genoa and its surrounding region in terms of investment, branding and city marketing. Although our design strategy is sensitive in terms of existing fabric, it is key to analyse a rigorous ideology as it allows us to understand Genoa’s current funding status within Europe, and more importantly as a port city. The rational is that Genoa’s city branding should be embedded in broader and participatory processes of re thinking urban identities, resulting in effective formulas for stakeholder investment and city management, which can be seen throughout our design strategies city development. The port side should be considered an aggressive development with the ideology of big scale infrastructure. The grand sense of arrival into Italy’s maritime gateway, a hub for international trading with the aim of a new city branding. The overall aim is to draw large international capital investors with the backing of the local government. The port should be seen
as an area of investment that not only benefits the local economy but Genoa’s overall GDP. This kind of development will help boost Genoa’s economy through the development of a new multibillion multipurpose terminal, that promotes high density residential and commercial outlets, which all promote a higher quality of city life. The rest of the design strategy however takes a less corporate approach to funding and costing, although capital investors would be ideal in funding large sectors of the district of San Teodoro. As previously mentioned, our design strategy aims to promote strategic planning and a better sense of integration along our vertical transect. Our intention is to partially gain funding from Genoa’s city government, along with funding from the European Union through regional grants. This would be seen as a huge benefit to a large percentage of the local population and many communal areas that are situated along our vertical transect. Exemplar to this would be the cofinanced European Union plan of TEN-T situated in genoa, granting funds up to Four Million Euros for the regeneration of public realms across genoa, which would support our proposed extension
of San Teodoro’s Market area. European Union grants are key, even though capital return is not gained directly from the public area. Much of the capital is gained from increased value of the surrounding real estate and the prosperity which arises from the original grant. This can be seen throughout many of the interventions proposed, even though many of them can be catergorised into communal interventions, they each play a part in promoting a relative balance between the local economy, social health and well being and the general improvement of the surrounding environment.
6.2
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
Design Development Drawings
6.3
BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
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