concours d'idées pour la récupération de deux places, Ex-Ilva, Follonica, classés 3°

2008, V.COMITO, C.COCCETTI, D.HORSCH, V. CARVELLI

Piazza Grande 11000m², Piazza del Mercato 5300m²

A 19th century cast iron foundry leaves an extensive disinvested area in the town centre, close to the town hall and to a densely built area. The municipality wishes to create two public squares, the "Piazza del Mercato" and the "Piazza Grande". The foundry buildings are conserved, refurbished and proposed for new uses to bring people to this largely deserted central area. The town will be renting surfaces for commerce and arts & crafts. Part of the buildings have been refurbished for cultural/artistic events and a Museum of Iron. The major square is to welcome gatherings as the spectacular carnival.  The ancient foundry was the embodiment of a flow of matter: iron from the Elba island transformed into refined cast iron objects through the energy of fire and water. The use of hydraulic energy structured the area through a series of channels. Charcoal came from a renewable management of the Mediterranean forest.  This equilibrium with the territory was disrupted in the last century, and the object aims at RE-ESTABLISHING AN EQUILIBRIUM WITH THE TERRITORY.

The flux of matter is materialized in the project by re-establishing the landscape’s life-lines. The channels are used for rain-water collection depuration through plants.  The railway tracks which coiled in the squares, with iron continuously coming in and out feeding the economy of the town, are transformed in a thin iron band with led lights, guiding people’s movements. These life-line patterns are to reveal the town’s identity to a new life. The town was densely built in the ‘70s, and the citizens are attached to a  lost tuscan image, their pride in local  achievements need to be boosted. A new immigration flow also needs images in which to identify.  A new community is taking shapes and needs meeting places. The project gives new fronts to the vast squares through two new buildings.  A metal/brick portico unites different parts of the town hall. Under the shaded portico, multi-purpose brick/glass rooms are to be used for public reunions (as associations), municipal classes (professional training, language courses). The side of one of the foundry buildings (commerce) is animated by a greenhouse-bar. Its roof is constituted by photovoltaic panels also acting as turning sun screens. Their winter/summer positions assure the most efficient use of solar energy and adapted protection following the sun’s seasonal inclination.    In situating every element in the project, solar orientation and the winter wind protection were taken into account. The vegetation is representative of local ecosystems (not simply singular species) thus needs little maintenance. Brick paving is a live tradition in central Italy, and is combined with new materials such as brick gravel and compacted earth using recycled glass.