TRACES FROM THE PAST- Master Thesis project in Architecture and Urban Design

Villa Simonetta, located in the urban area of Milan, belongs to a system of villas known as “Ville di Delizia”: relevant buildings that preserve the history of the Lombardy region. The heritage of villas in the Milan area includes more than 700 aristocratic villas distributed in the province of Milan and in the city. The Villa typology represent not only an important element from the historical point of view, but also a key element for the enhancement of the territory. In this context, the aristocratic villas in the area can take on a new value for their historical and identity significance, their environmental quality of their appurtenances.

Since the 1970s there has been a process of acquisition of historic villas by municipalities with the aim of saving them from definitive degradation, and especially in recent years, thanks to public-private collaboration, there has been a process of reuse of these buildings through a change in their intended use for the establishment of cultural institutions.

Regione Lombardia has undertaken an active process of revaluation and regeneration towards the widespread heritage of aristocratic villas, considering it necessary not only to preserve but also to rethink their use in a modern urban context, creating a network of itineraries in which the villas are the main actors. There are 13 main routes that primarily involve the “ville di delizia”, of which 5 main ones follow the villas’ historic road system: Strada del Sempione, Strada Varesina, Strada Comasina, Strada per Monza, Strada Valassina.

Networks in which Villa Simonetta is involved

Birth of the “Villa Gentilizia” in Lombardy. In an early period the Villa was a castle type characterised by defensive walls. In the course of the 15th century the typology of the Villa-Castle changed, and the villa-cascina developed, which had the purpose of controlling agricultural production. This typology is characterized by a single rectangular block.

The 16th century represented a transitional period in which the villa didn’t develop systematically following a single architectural rule. In spite of this, we saw a modification of the prototype, which, starting from the single block, was transformed into a U-shape building.

In the course of the 17th, the “Villa Gentilizia”, already pre-established during the 16th takes on the characteristics of an accomplished typology. Within the U-shaped layout, the various rooms are clearly defined, hierarchised and arranged following the main axes.

Towards the end of the 18th century, neoclassical culture laid the foundations for the affirmation of a new architectural language in the typology of the villa. A new architecture of strong compositional rigour and severe elegance developed, promoting a restrained spatiality. It is also accompanied by a new concept of the garden “The English garden”.

The 18th century was a century in which the “Villa Gentilizia” found fertile ground in which to develop. It takes on an even more austere, monumental character, bringing it more in tune with the international language of French and Austrian courts such as Versailles or Schonbrunn.

The second half of the 19th century, with the advent of the industrialisation process in the city, marked the beginning of the decline of the ville di delizia. The size tends to shrink and the mansion becomes a “Villino residenziale” The typology is modified as well as the relationship with the context.

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TRACES

FROM THE PAST VILLA SIMONETTA IN MILAN: PRESERVATION, URBAN DESIGN AND VIRTUAL REALITY TO DEFINE A NEW MUSIC HUB

VILLA SIMONETTA BETWEEN PAST AND FUTURE

Alessandro Simonetta purchased 1592 This represented for the villa, which by then had become “La Simonetta”, a period of splendour, important not only locally but also internationally for its architectural beauty but also for the famous echo that was created in an opening on the second floor. A century later, Marc’Antonio Dal Re portrayed it and its park in the first edition of Ville di delizia dello Stato di Milano of 1726. In the following decades it passed to the Castelbarco, Clerici and Osculati families.

“DECADENCE”, 1802-1959

Milanese “Scali Ferroviari” system

RAILWAY YARDS

PORTA GENOVA

FARINI PORTA ROMANA

SAN CRISTOFORO

VILLE DI DELIZIA

Villa Simonetta is part of the Ville genitilizie nell’Alto milanese network. It is therefore part of the historical road system and in particular of the Strada Comasina that from Milan goes up to the north connecting together many relevant historical villas hosting nowadays activities of general interest for the town in which they are located.

VILLA CORBELLA LITTA

GRECO-BREDA

LAMBRATE

ROGOREDO

regeneration of 7 decommissioned railway yards, is one of the most important project of the City of Milan. Scalo Farini with more than 600.000 sq.m is the wider area involved, creating the possibility to renovate this district sewing up the two parts divided by the tracks. Facing the railway area, Villa Simonetta finds itself directly involved in the Farini regeneration project, giving the opportunity to make it as a new cultural urban centrality.

A period of decline for the villa begins. In 1802, Carlo Castelbarco sold the property to Franco Clerici, who let it to tenants. During this period, the villa became not only a shelter for the petecchiosi but also a candle factory, a tannery and workers’ quarters and tavern. Between the 19th and 20th centuries, the park was reduced first by the construction of the new Via Stilicone, then by the Scalo Ferroviario Farini in the north-eastern part. In addition to this, the bombings of 1943 destroyed a large part of the Villa.

THE RECOVERY”, 1959-TODAY

In 1959, the Municipality of Milan became the owner of the complex and then, in 1961, allocated funds for reconstruction by making the villa the home of the “Civica Scuola Claudio Abbado”. From 2003 interventions for the renovation and restoration of the building and its decorative apparatus began.

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Even though it was excluded from the Scalo Farini project boundaries, all the finalist teams considered it necessary to include Villa Simonetta important in the more general system of renewal of the entire area. Analysing the final masterplan presented by OMA and Laboratorio Permanente, we found some criticalities in the development of the area surrounding the Villa, which make this appear to us as a missed opportunity for the full valorisation of this centrality and its function as a Civic School of Music, in a metropolitan dimension that includes the pre-existence in the transformation process of the new city.

If in fact the project welcomes the proposal of citizens and neighbourhood associations to include functions dedicated to music in the area, these seem to remain marginal and far away from the idea of creating a real City of Music in the Lombardy capital.

NETWORKS IN WHICH VILLA SIMONETTA IS INVOLVED

MUSIC CENTERS

The Scuola Civica Claudio Abbado is a relevant music institution in the Milanese panorama, housed in Villa Simonetta It hosts courses and exhibitions both for professionals and for amateurs and it can also claim strong relations with other Milanese Music institutions such as the Teatro alla Scala and Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi.

30MINUTES

Scuola Civica C. Abbado

Auditorium Lattuada

SAN SIRO STADIUM

Civica Decorati

ASSAGO FORUM EVENTS

CONCERT HUBS

ARCIMBOLDI THETRE

MUSIC IN MILAN

JAZZ MI

MILANO MUSIC WEEK

SCUOLA CIVICA C. ABBADO MILAN CONSERVATORY “G. VERDI”

EDUCATIONAL ISTITUTIONS

“LA SCALA” THETRE

TRACES FROM THE PAST VILLA SIMONETTA IN MILAN: PRESERVATION, URBAN DESIGN AND VIRTUAL REALITY TO DEFINE A NEW MUSIC HUB HBIM PROCESS: DATA COLLECTION AND 2D DRAWINGS GENERATION

The use of HBIM on Villa Simonetta is to demonstrate how the Scan to BIM process on a historic building can be used to create a detailed information model that can be used not only for studies and surveys on an architectural scale, but also for a more complete understanding of the building in order to better conceive a design proposal on an urban scale that takes into account the historic pre-existence in order to preserve and enhance it. Even before the survey phase, it is necessary to start with a research operation and acquisition of all the information in paper and digital form relating to the building in order to use this material for an in-depth understanding of the artefact. Once the research activity is finished, the second phase involves a site visit to carry out a digital survey. This can be performed with two different types of instruments: a laser scanner sensor or a camera

Seminato alla Veneziana Beola stone slabs Ceramic tiles White pebbles

TRACES FROM THE PAST

Once the research activity is finished, which can obviously be implemented later, the second phase involves a site visit to carry out a digital survey. This can be performed with two different types of instruments: a laser scanner sensor or a camera for terrestrial photogrammetry. The photogrammetric survey was made on the external facades of Villa Simonetta as well as to the vault of the main porch in order to demonstrate the accuracy of the point cloud later processed also in the acquisition of complex geometries. All the process was done paying much attention to the overlapping of the photos even in the most tricky parts, in order to assure the highest possible accuracy in the elaboration of the point cloud and consequently in the 3D model.

VILLA SIMONETTA: PHOTOGRAMMETRIC PROCESS

The data collected through the photogrammetric survey must then be processed in order to obtain a geotagged, oriented and properly scaled point cloud. In order to do this, one of the most widely used software for the processing of the data acquired during the survey is Agisoft Metashape that was also chosen for the case study of Villa Simonetta. For the acquisition of the façades 149 photos were made and all of them were imported into the software. After that it was possible to go ahead with the alignment process Through this, Agisoft Metashape overlaps the data acquired by each photo to generate a sparse point cloud of the object that could be properly scaled and oriented using coordinates of notable points measured onsite. It’s than possible to carry out a dense point cloud that will be fundamental also for the 3D modelling phase and for the extraction of orthophotos

1. Sparse Point Cloud of the Villa with photos’ position

2. Dense Point Cloud of the Villa

MAIN PORCH: PHOTOGRAMMETRIC PROCESS OF A COMPLEX VAULTED GEOMETRY

To prove the reliability of the Scan to BIM process even on very complex geometry, we decided to make a photogrammetric survey focusing on the main vaulted porch of Villa Simonetta 356 were imported in Agisoft Metashape and the same process made for the facades was follow, building a highly detailed dense point cloud and a mesh texturized model with more than 1 million faces In this case the process of geotagging, orientation and scaling was made using the scale bar tool in metashape, using notable points and distances betwen them measured during the onsite survey. Exporting the texturized model in OBJ format, is than possible to enrich the 3D model of the Villa with a complex texturized geometry faithfully simulating the real one.

VILLA SIMONETTA:

3D MODELLING FROM POINT CLOUD

After completing the process in Agisoft Metashape, it was possible to import the dense point cloud generated into a NURBS 3D modelling software, able to manage the geometric complexity of the building The free-form software McNeel Rhinoceros 7 was chosen as the best to fit this requirement, giving the possibility to build a 3D model coherent with the reality.

Using the interpolation between a set of points, it was also possible to shape the vaulted roof system, attaching to it also the texture generated in Agisoft Metashape, proofing the high level of detail that this process it’s able to reach. Using the Decal tool present in the software it was also possible to map the facades using the high definition orthophotos produced from the dense cloud, improving even more the quality of the model and the amount of information that is able to give.

“Scali Ferroviari” network

Villa Simonetta is an historical building within a strongly characterised area by Scalo Farini railway yard, one of the main actors of the ‘Scali Ferroviari’ Milanese network. The possibility of preserving and valorising the villa is closely related to the understanding of the urban dynamics concerning the context in which the villa is located. It becomes even more important since this area is part of the most important urban regeneration project within the metropolitan city of Milan regarding decommissioned railway yards.

Scalo Farini is located near to the new urban centralities of the city, but it still represent a huge cut between different neighbourhoods that percieve it has a wall, an extraneous area with which it is impossible any relation. The regeneration project that will involve this area in the near future, give the possibility to break this wall, to transform this limit in a new permeable and green urban infrastructure.

OF NEW ACTIVITIES BOTH DURING DAY AND NIGHT

TRACES FROM THE PAST VILLA SIMONETTA IN MILAN: PRESERVATION, URBAN DESIGN AND VIRTUAL REALITY TO DEFINE A NEW MUSIC HUB AGENTI CLIMATICI MASTERPLAN: SCALO FARINI AS AN URBAN ECOLOGICAL DEVICE

As foreseen by the Accordo di Programma in 2017, Scalo Farini is planned as a new large green lung in the heart of Milan with a vegetation surface of more than 65% of the total area equipped by large public green spaces. The design of an urban infrastructure of such dimension led the designers of OMA and Laboratorio Permanente to think the Farini area as an ecological corridor on a territorial scale, capable of connecting the urban centre with large green parks of the metropolitan area, forming with them an integrated system. The project conceives a new district promoting cycle-pedestrian and public transport leaving most of the car traffic outside and creating new links between the two portion cutted by the tracks. Great importance is also given to the reuse of existing structures within the yard, able to house new public functions of general interest without the consumption of new soil.

A NEW URBAN AREA ALMOST COMPLETELY CAR FREE - HIGH PERMEABILITY OF THE NEW BUILDINGS - POSSIBLE CONNECTION BETWEEN RELEVANT CULTURAL POLARITIES

- DISCONNECTION BETWEEN THE NEW FARINI PARK AND THE PROPOSED PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES - LACK IN THE INTEGRATION OF BUILDING OF HISTORICAL AND ARTISTIC RELEVANCE IN THE PROJECT - LACK OF ATTRACTIVENESS OF SOME AREAS AS NOT SO WELL DEFINED IN THE PROPOSAL

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The design proposal for Villa Simonetta’s area aims to conceive a system of indoor and outdoor spaces related to music, better valorising the function of the Scuola Civica di Musica housed in Villa Simonetta. Integrating it in the overall regeneration masterplan Agenti Climatici, it tries also to solve the criticalities highlighted in respect to the historical building. In addition, the creation of a new music hub in the San Rocco Depot nearby, will give the opportunity to characterise this area as the new Milan’s City of Music

Villa Simonetta is included within 3 main networks on both urban and territorial scale: ville di delizie, milanese railway yards and musical centralities. The relation with them will be fundamental in order to valorize the hub on a broader scale, considering the historical relevance of the building and being able to integrate in the project also the traces emerging from the past

S- REUSE OF EXISTING BUILDING IN THE RAILWAY YARD - NEW SPACES

- MUSIC SPACES INADEQUATE FOR SCUOLA CIVICA AND CITY’S NEEDS

- SPORTS FACILITIES NOT INTEGRATED

WITHIN OTHER FUNCTIONS OF THE AREA

W- GEODESIC DOMES IN THE HISTORICAL VILLA GARDEN - POOR ATTENTION TO HISTORICAL RELEVANCE OF THE VILLA - PONTE NUOVO POOR RELATION WITH THE CONTEXT - LACK OF A UNIQUE INTEGRATED SPACE INCLUDING VILLA AND SAN ROCCO DEPOT - USE OF GREEN MORE ESTHETIC THAN FUNCTIONAL FOR THE COMMUNITY - VILLA SIMONETTA DETACHED FROM THE OVERALL REGENERATION PROJECT

Thanks to the City of Music project, new spaces and new initiatives fit not only into an urban dimension related to the City of Milan, but also into a larger territorial scale since, as mentioned above, Villa Simonetta is part of the Strada Comasina itinerary along the historic road network of the noble villas of the Upper Milanese area

Villa Simonetta is therefore part of a system of historic residences that in several cases host musical events, even of particular importance, and that, by intelligently exploiting the existing and planned infrastructural connections by road and rail, can give rise to a territorial-scale festival of music in villa, with events organised in coordination between different locations that are part of a single important project.

DANCE, MUSIC AND 3D MAPPING

CONCERTS AND KARAOKE

MUSIC IN VILLA ALONG THE COMASINA STREET

The framework chosen for this study regarding the milanese villas heritage is an authors’choice related to the goals of the overall thesis work. In order to make our project proposal more concrete we have decided to investigate five villas related to music along Strada Comasina.

VILLA DHO

Cacciatori delle Alpi Street Seveso (MB)

The villa, which was made habitable in 2000, has since then housed Casa Aperta Family Community, where adolescent girls in the care of social services live. The Community organizes musical evenings and dance performances with 3D Mapping on the villa.

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ART AND MUSIC MUSIC INSTITUTION THERAPEUTIC MUSIC FOLK, JAZZ INDIE MUSIC

A NETWORK FROM SIMONETTA HUB Highway Freeway Primary Road Main railway routes National Bike Path

16 minutes 28 minutes 15 minutes 14 minutes 16 minutes 17 minutes 27 minutes 35 minutes 16 minutes 16 minutes 33 minutes 28 minutes 14 minutes 27 minutes 30 minutes

Territorial Infrastructure through historical Villas Music in Villa Activities in program and targets N +0.00m +5.00 Km

VILLA BARBIANO DI BELGIOIOSO Palestro Street, 16 Milan (MI) VILLA SIMONETTA Stilicone Street Milan (MI)

VILLA MIRABELLO Villa Mirabello street Milan (MI)

VILLA DA CONTURBIA CASTIGLIONI Strada Statale dei Giovi, 118 Cormano (MI)

STRADA COMASINA

VILLA BAGATTI VALSECCHI

Vittorio E. II Street, 16 Varedo (MB)

Villa Bagatti Valsecchi is an 18th century Italian villa located in Varedo, in the province of Monza and Brianza. Today home of the “La Versiera 1718” Foundation, promotes cultural and social activities including a rich calendar of musical events with bands and karaoke.

VILLA DA CONTURBIA CASTIGLIONI

Dei Giovi street, 118 Cormano (MI)

The villa, also known as “La Gioiosa,” was built in the 18th century. Today home of the Municipal Police, hosts two Festivals:

“Sound Mo(vi)ments of Urban Culture,” dedicated to Jazz music, and “Indie-Pendant Peripheries,” focused on Indie music.

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VILLA MIRABELLO

Villa Mirabello street, Milan (MI)

The villa, built in the 15th century, is managed by the Villa Mirabello Onlus Foundation, a social solidarity association in the field of blindness. It organizes musical events themed to music and its many educational and therapeutic potential uses.

VILLA SIMONETTA MUSIC HUB

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VILLA BARBIANO DI BELGIOIOSO REALE Palestro street, 16 Milan (MI)

The 18th century Villa, now location of the Milan Gallery of Modern Art (GAM), presents a full calendar of musical events hosting international artists. The programme includes many concerts combining Art and Music.

TRACES FROM THE PAST VILLA SIMONETTA IN MILAN: PRESERVATION, URBAN DESIGN AND VIRTUAL REALITY TO DEFINE A NEW MUSIC HUB MUSIC IN VILLA ALONG THE STRADA COMASINA: School of Architecture Urban Planning and Construction Engineering Master in Architecture and Urban Design- Academic Year 2022-2023

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

LEGENDA Villas in Strada Comasina network Villas in Strada Comasina network with music activites Villas influence in the territory (2.5 km)

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Regional Bike Path

Stilicone Street Milan (MI) VILLABAGATTI VALSECCHI Vittorio Emanuele II Street, 16 Varedo (MB)

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Supervisor: prof. Alberta Cazzani Co-supervisors: proff. F. Banfi, R. Brumana Students: Stefano Marco de Gennaro (976161) - Sara De Ponti (976163) 08 MUSIC IN VILLA ALONG THE STRADA COMASINA

The aim of the project is to give Milan an internationally important structures with a plurality of spaces dedicated to music, community and didactics. It is possible to divide the spaces into cal activities, for didactics related to the Civic School, and spaces for the community.

Villa Simonetta and the Deposito San Rocco represent the new educational and cul tural pole, constituting the heart of the new City of Music as well as new urban centralities for the neighbourhood and the city. In order to encompass these two polarities in a single system dedicated to music, the design of the These create a strong interaction between the two structures tinuum of indoor and outdoor spaces dedicated to musical activities nity.

A NEW PAVILLION IN THE MAIN ENTRANCE BETWEEN VIA STILICONE AND VIA G.CALVINO

NEW GREEN AREAS ALONG THE TRACKS ADJACENT TO THE FORMER SAN ROCCO DEPOT

REDEVELOPMENT OF THE PUBLIC SPACES FACING THE VILLA BY CREATING A NEW MAIN ACCESS SQUARE TO THE CITY OF MUSIC

REDEVELOPMENT OF THE ANTONIO CEDERNA PARK

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FROM THE PAST

VILLA SIMONETTA IN MILAN: PRESERVATION, URBAN DESIGN AND VIRTUAL REALITY TO DEFINE A NEW MUSIC HUB MASTERPLAN ALONG VILLA SIMONETTA HISTORICAL AXIS

The creation of a system of spaces dedicated to music makes it possible to exploit both indoor and outdoor areas for the organisation of minars, workshops, concerts and events related to the world of music addition to valorising the events already on the villa’s programme, such as the summer festi val Notti Trasfigurate promoted by the Scuola Civica or the new activities are proposed to enrich the proposal, especially in the months that are most lacking in events, involving the city community more closely.

REDESCOVERED PARTERRE THROUGH NATURE

REDESCOVERED PARTERRE THROUGH MOVIES

REDESCOVERED PARTERRE THROUGH MUSIC

REDESCOVERED PARTERRE THROUGH ART

RE-OPENED FISHPONDS FOR EXHIBITIONS

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The desire to be able to create a permeable passage and to connect Villa Simonetta with the public space has led us to rethink the ground floor as a public space capable of being an attractive pole for the population thanks to the creation of spaces for Musical Workshops and Exhibitions with the aim of promoting the institution of the Scuola Civica and promoting the history of this wonderful villa.

The internal courtyard the external area closest to the villa, while maintaining its use for some of the Civic School’s performances, is proposed to make it a flexible space to support internal activities and a link with the open spaces of the garden. This area can be used as an extension of the ground floor, hosting exhibitions, seminars and workshops that require more space than the interior spaces allow. The interior elevations jutting out over the courtyard also offer a great opportunity to be used as an interactive tool by means of the 3D video mapping technique. This gives the possibility to use this space for public light and music performances or to narrate the history of Villa Simonetta, rich in events and vicissitudes, in a fascinating and dynamic way.

FROM THE PAST

The tool of VR technology for the purpose of a realistic, immersive and interactive representation of the project proposed for the area of Villa Simonetta as a new music hub is particularly useful in order to investigate the complexity of an urban project that holds together the need to preserve a heritage of historical value with the one of reconnecting it within the dynamics of the future city.

The creation of an immersive environment certainly allows a reduction of the gap between the 2D drawings and the constructed work especially for a regeneration project as extensive as Scalo Farini, which will require a consequently long time to be completed. This tool therefore constitutes a great opportunity above all for the end users, the citizens, who are given the chance to directly experience the urban spaces that will make up the future city and their complexity

The main square looking at Villa Simonetta from the back

Il Ponte della Musica over the Scalo Farini connecting the Simonetta with Derganino neighbourhood