What would happen in Scalo di Porta Romana if...?
Urban transformations are based on complex and long processes that involve a wide range of events. Knowing them is essential if we are to intervene in their development, altering in some way the future of a city. A thoughtful analysis of the place and the exploration of multiple possibilities —both necessary for successful interventions— require extraordinary care and examination. Is it then possible to make a credible proposal for the transformation of a relevant area in a metropolis like Milan, in two weeks? Definitely not. What makes sense, instead, is to carry out speculative experiments of limited starting data, focused approach and targeted objective. Arranged in several teams, the studio is proposed as a think-tank to explore the potential capacity of the site. Development constraints (such as the distribution of public space, soil occupancy, density, scale or buildings typology) will be established for each case study, setting the boundaries of each laboratory test.
In The Grammar of Fantasy: An Introduction to the Art of Inventing Stories (1973), Gianni Rodari proposes many formulas to make up stories. Among them, there is one named “What Would Happen If…?”, based on what he call the fantastical hypothesis technique, which he explains using, precisely, Milan as an example:
To begin with, just take a subject (“Milan”) and a predicate (“surrounded by the sea”):
“What if Milan were suddenly surrounded by the sea?”.
Following Rodari’s suggestion, the workshop will use a collection of predicates applicable
to a common subject: the Scalo di Porta Romana.
models of all six teamworks
suggestive images of all six teamworks
WHAT IF WE BUILD UNDERGROUND?
With a quick glance in the Milan map, we saw a big Hole in the middle of city which is “Scalo di Porta Romana”. Like a piece of puzzle which is lost! so if we cannot find it, we should make a new one!
Our journey started with looking at context of the urban fabric, which is located between historical dense fabric and contemporary rings of Milan. We tried to take a step back and ask to ourself; what if we get back the chunk to the nature, so what if we built under ground and fill this hole with plants.
What if nature grows on the city, unlike reality! What if we have more biodiversity in city !
Thus, city was expended underground and we extended a pattern of city under a green surface. Therefore, as a strategy for rebuilt, we implied a 3D grid to shape the city blocks also buildings considered as multifunctional blocks with a great diversity in services. Then eventually, the final surface implant as a green hat! the underground city is not only for humans but also there is a place for birds, animals and other biodiversity. the most problems for built in underground usually contain lighting, ventilation and humidity which were solved with the 3d grid and lifting the green roof as a thick surface and not a solid volume.
masterplan
iconic image
common matrix
