Waterfront in Messina

international workshop - press on ABITARE december 2008

GETTING CLOSER GETTING BIGGER
THE GEOGRAPHICAL SITUATION OF THE STRETTO SETS THE TWO COASTS OF MESSINA AND REGGIO CALABRIA IN AN INTIMATE YET DIFFICULT RELATIONSHIP.THEIR CONFORMATION IS CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR COMMON CONCENTRATION ON THE STRETTO, BUT EACH ONE SEEMS TO IGNORE THE PRESENCE OF THE OTHER. UNDERSTANDING THE AREA OF THE STRETTO AS A COMMON SPACE, A PLATFORM FOR COMMUNICATION, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A NEW REALITY BECOMES POSSIBLE. FLOATING GARDENS THE IDEA OF A PARK FLOATING ON THE WATER IS A CENTRAL STEP FOR A NEW CONCEPTION OF THE CITY IN A WIDER SCALE.THE HEART OF A LARGER TERRITORY IS MATERIALIZED IN A DYNAMIC PLACE OF FIRM URBANITY.
THE STRETTO IS CONCEIVED NO MORE AS A BARRIER BUT ALSO A UNION SITE OF TWO COMPLEMENTARY REALITIES AMONG A SINGLE WIDER SYSTEM.IT ACCOMPLISHES A PLACE OF “IN-BETWEEN”, A UNIQUE AND SUSTAINABLE CONCEPT AND AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION FOR THE STRETTO REGION.

MESSINA INTERMODAL STATION
THE NEW MESSINA INTERMODAL STATION WILL BE THE NEW DOOR TO SICILY, A PLACE FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC ENCOUNTERS AND ALSO A DECISIVE OPPORTUNITY TO THE CITY OF MESSINA TO APPROACH THE SEA. IT ARTICULATES THE MEANS OF TRANSPORT ON DIFFERENT LEVELS.
PERMITING SIMULTAINEOUSLY THE ARRIVAL OF THE SHIPS AND COMMUTING TO TRAINS ON THE GROUND LEVELS, A VAST AREA FOR CAR PARKING AND A BUS CENTRAL ON THE FIRST FLOOR AND THE PEDESTRIANS ENTRANCE AND EXIT TO AND FROM THE FERRIES ON THE UPPER LEVEL. THE SEQUENCE OF SLOPES ALLOWS THE PEDESTRIANS A CONTINOUS CONTACT WITH THE SEASIDE.