stefano boeri, metrogramma, and inside outside to revitalize site of genoa's collapsed bridge

a team comprising stefano boeri architetti (SBA), metrogramma milano, and inside outside has been selected to complete a major urban renewal project in the italian city of genoa. the new ‘parco del ponte’ will run under a crossing designed by renzo piano to replace the morandi bridge, which tragically collapsed in august 2018. the project features a network of facilities that provide the city with an infrastructure for sustainable mobility and smart buildings for research, design, and manufacturing. connecting the two sides of the valley, a red steel circle forms a pathway for bikes and pedestrians, and is even equipped with a wind tower for the production and distribution of renewable energy.

the riverfront, the red circle, and the wind tower | image © the big picture, courtesy of SBA
all images courtesy of stefano boeri architetti, metrogramma milano, inside outside | petra blaisse

below, the parco del polcevera comprises a system of parks that contain plants and trees typical to the mediterranean climate. the landscape was designed by inside outside | petra blaisse, and will be built with the contribution of laura gatti and secondo antonio accotto. at the heart of the park stands ‘genova in the wood’, an art installation designed by artist luca vitone. dedicated the victims of the collapsed bridge, the piece features 43 trees and stands as a symbol of the city’s strength in adversity. surrounding the park, which is intended to catalyze the community, new environmentally friendly buildings will become new hubs of productivity and innovation.

wind tower and the new station
image © the big picture, courtesy of SBA

‘the red circle, the tower, the world buildings, and the polcevera park with its vital chromatic and botanical variety will act as genoa’s welcome to the passersby of the future,’ says stefano boeri, founder of stefano boeri architetti. ‘a welcome to the world that crosses it and reaches genoa from a network of infrastructure that stretches from east to west connecting italy to europe, parks perched on vertical walls, workers and noblewomen, singers- poets and naval engineers. a superb city, even though it is afflicted by poignant melancholy; beautiful, even if in the harshness of its everlasting contradictions. a city of steel and sea, sculpted by wind and tragedy, but always able to stand tall.’

polcevera park, east side: sport park and ‘genoa in the wood’
image © the big picture, courtesy of SBA

‘we strongly wanted the vision to embody the colors and scents of the mediterranean, of which genoa is a symbol in the world,’ adds andrea boschetti, founding partner of metrogramma. ‘in fact, the goal is to rebuild a cohesive urban system, socially active, innovative so as to revitalize not just the area but also the neighboring ones by turning it into an attraction. the architectural project proposed consists of the design of world buildings — that is large clusters of buildings with a multi-functional role and a streamlined yet recognizable architectural language.’

polcevera park, west side: water park, fun park, mediterranean garden and expo park
image © the big picture, courtesy of SBA

‘the landscape project presents itself as a structure of parallel stripes that organizes the entire site, giving rise to a botanical park where each strip, whose width varies from 7 to 20 meters and is marked by an aligned path, represents a different type of garden, thus increasing the degree of biodiversity of the entire area,’ explains petra blaisse of dutch studio inside outside. ‘running perpendicular to the linear gardens there is a further zig-zag path that becomes the only connection between east and west until one reaches the red circle that intersects all the stripes and creates connections that were previously impossible, allowing cyclists and pedestrians to move everywhere with previously unimaginable ease.’

the riverfront and the green factory
image © renovatio design, courtesy of metrogramma

the new neighborhood market
image © renovatio design, courtesy of metrogramma

the new neighborhood gym
image © renovatio design

the riverfront and the green factory square
image © renovatio design

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project info:

group leader/urban projects: stefano boeri architetti
stefano boeri (founding partner) con sara gangemi (project leader), moataz faissal farid (senior architect), francesca pincella (junior architect), jacopo colatarci (junior architect)
architectural design: metrogramma milano
andrea boschetti (founding partner) con francesco betta (technical director), arianna piva (project leader), andrea g. bulloni (architect), anna bartolaccio (architect), andrea casazza (architect), andrea roma (architect)
landscape design: inside outside | petra blaisse
petra blaisse (founding partner and lead designer) with desirée pierluigi (architect), camilla panzeri and with jana crepon (partner and landscape project leader)

with —
mobility, traffic, infrastructures: MIC | mobility in chain
federico parolotto (senior partner), giuseppe andrea vallelonga (senior consultant), gaia sgaramella (consultant), gloriana barboza (consultant), loris sciacchitano (consultant)
agronomist and environmental requalifiation: studio laura gatti
laura gatti (founder), marco peterle (senior agronomist), luca leporati (agronomist), silvia isacco (senior architect)
environmental comfort and energy efficiency: transsolar energietechnik
tommaso bitossi (project manager), clara bondi (junior engineer), thomas auer (founding partner)
geologist: antonio secondo accotto

consultants —
urban transformation and economic assessments: H&A associati
carlo pagan (founder & partner and CEO of MESA srl), alessia mangialardo (senior architect)
artist: studio luca vitone
participatory processes: tempo riuso
isabella inti (CEO), giulia cantaluppi (funding partner), camilla ponzano (senior architect)
renderings: the big picture, renovatio design
graphics: 46xy – mario piazza / lorenzo mazzali