Piacenza is located on river Po and though the city is surrounded by agricultural lands, neither fields nor riverbank are easily accessible for a pedestrian. Due to the unpredictable temper of river, floods, pollution, abandoned industrial sites on its banks, citizens are cut off any natural context. 

The new project of Vento is going to connect Turin and Venezia with a cyclable pathway, continuing further to bigger routes of Europe. Being right next to Vento, Piacenza is still separated from the opening possibilities. 

We aim to reconnect the city with its surroundings, working in partnership with natural processes and not against them, creating a route to escape the boundaries of​​​​​​​ the historic city, or otherwise to discover it, transforming degraded lifestyle on every step.

With a long time neglected and diverse roots of the problem, simple private solutions failed to fix the situation. 

Therefore, to turn boundaries into connections we are creating a sequence of spaces from the city center and into the outer landscapes addressing each area individually to obtain a complex structure holding the system together. 

Project’s chain of areas consists of enhanced existing tissue, improving elements and new intervention mostly focused on approaching the issues of the flood.

Main elements of design are: 

- regeneration of old industrial railway channel and troubled underground passage in the urban area, 

- requalification of postindustrial zones into different kinds of public spaces, addressing flooding areas with flexible architecture and public facilities, 

- extending boat bus connection along the river, 

- providing new landmark and new agricultural approach for rural areas, 

- creating a good riverside public space with a hostel for Vento users and a possibility of future development.

Regenerated elements, the railway channel leading to the underground tunnel, crossing the critical zone of the train station.

Abandoned factory transformed into social Hub, placed in a crucial point for continuous connection.

Multifunctional area and Phytodepuration lake obtained from the requalification of existing industrial spaces.

New boat station, to follow the directives of the municipality to create a boat taxi service.

Pedestrian bridge and the tower create physical and visual link across the river.

The hostel is an out-of-city activity center for travelers enjoying rural landscape or flooded river.

Agricultural field will merge with the riverside public space to provide people a contact to nature.

This presentation was developed by the group according to requirements of LafargeHolcim Awards 2016/17 competition.