For the longest time, Italy has set itself as a benchmark for developing art and architecture. With structures over 3500 years ago and the recent introduction of the modern-esque culture, the country showcases itself as an extensive stretch of variety for the rich history that it encompasses and the possibility of a greater future that it holds. The resurrection of the oldest buildings and the construction of new ones creates the timeless resemblance of a story passed on from generation to generation as folklore and as a button to be carried further on.
From the likes of the infamous architects that rose from the soil of the country such as Renzo Piano, Stefano Boeri, and many others. Even the ones that played an important part in the development of its contemporary style, they contributed with their flair and essence to form a conglomerate into the form of several structures that now depict the ethos of this country.
Some of the well-known recent projects that shaped, with elegance, the sophisticated urbanity of this country include-
Piazza Gae Aulenti
Described by the Italian newspapers Libero and Il Giornale as “the square of the future”, the new Piazza developed by AECON is dedicated to celebrating the amazing life of the late Italian architect Gae Aulenti. Spanning over 60 meters in diameter, the Piazza is a public space that creates walkways and connects the Garibaldi railway station, a public transportation hub, to the rest of the city.
Being an important part of the structural city’s core, Gehl Architects strategically planned the space to maintain the continuous flow of daylight and natural ventilation through the retail spaces and car parking that rests below. The two-story high water fountains help to control the noise pollution generated by the adjacent roads and create a serene environment. It keeps up with the Italian tradition of grand Piazzas and plays its part of cultural importance well.
Bosco Verticale
Bosco Verticale boasts its sustainable existence with the high verticality of its buildings. Ranging about 111 meters (364 ft) and 76 meters (249 ft) vertically, the architect showcased these towers as high-rise green buildings, covered on every side of their facade with over 900 plants and trees.
The structure was conceptualised to create an environment for humans and plants to co-exist. To create such a superstructure of glass and steel covered by a green facade, several problems like the wind flow and the floor height were considered and contracted with scientific solutions.
The combined effort of all was what created the magnificence of this building.
Auditorium Parco della Musica
Making into the list of designs by Renzo Piano, the Auditorium of Parco Della Musica marked its position as Europe‘s most visited cultural music venue. The structure includes three internal concert halls and an outdoor theatre in the park setting. With a capacity of over 4500 seats to accommodate the interior of the theatre and 3000 for the amphitheatre, the structure is designed to be separated by acoustics and is well connected via walkways and connections. Although the discovery of an old Roman villa delayed the completion of this project by a whole year, it strengthened the cultural relationship that it formed with its surroundings and helped to create the structure with a better context. The auditorium helped improve human circulation around the area, as it created an open space amidst the urban sprawl of the area. For providing such a relief, this auditorium was also termed an “urban tissue” for its ability to heal the broken human connection in the city.
Palazzo Lombardia
Palazzo Lombardia is a group of complexes situated in the centre of Milan’s commercial and business sectors. It includes a 161 meters tall skyscraper that serves as the main seat for Lombardy regional government and is an amazing piece of example Italy’s take on modernism. As of 2010, the building was briefly recognised as the tallest tower in all of Milan and Italy, soon to be taken over by the Unicredit tower in 2011.
The entirety of the structure was designed by Pei Cobb Freed and Partners and won the International Architecture Award for the best new global design and for setting an example for the development of modern architecture in Italy.
Jubilee Church
The architect, Meier was selected to work on the project for being the winner of a competition that made him compete with the best architects like- Frank Gehry, Santiago Calatrava, and many more. The design brief was to construct a Catholic church and community center in Tor Tere Teste, Rome.
Conceptualized to take the form of a ship, the structure was designed to have 3 curved walls on its southern facade. The use of precast concrete and its massive thermal mass helped to gain control of the internal heat and created temperature variations that inhibited more usage of energy. The structure serves a population of 8000 residents and aims to revive the lost social structure of Tor Tre Teste.
References and Citations-
Piazza Gae Aulenti-
Archdaily(2022). Piazza Gae Aulenti / AECOM. [online]. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/379624/piazza-gae-aulenti-aecom [Accessed date: 18/12/2022]
Bosco Verticale-
Archdaily(2022). Bosco Verticale/ Boeri Studio. [online]. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/777498/BOSCO-VERTICALE-STEFANO-BOERI-ARCHITETTI [Accessed date: 18/12/2022]
Auditorium Parco della Musica-
Arquitecturaviva(2022). Parco della Musica Auditorium, Rome. [online].
Available at: https://arquitecturaviva.com/works/auditorio-parco-della-musica-2 [Accessed date: 18/12/2022]
Palazzo Lombardia-
Wikipedia(2022). Palazzo Lombardia. [online]. (Last updated 22 September 2022) Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palazzo_Lombardia [Accessed date: 18/12/2022]
Jubilee Church-
Wikipedia(2022). Jubilee Church. [online]. (Last updated 20 December 2021) Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jubilee_Church [Accessed date: 18/12/2022]
