The city needed a new space at the gateway to its historic center, offering a variety of commercial activities and hospitality venues. A key challenge was the presence of numerous archaeological elements in the ground, making it impossible to disturb the soil.
Ferrara Piazza Cortevecchia
Ferrara Piazza Cortevecchia
Project information
The municipality of Ferrara has redeveloped Piazza Cortevecchia. In 2022, a competition was organized and won by INOUT Architectura with the theme Experimental Program of Interventions for Climate Adaptation in Urban Areas. Taking into account the balance between the landscape and the urban character of the site.
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Important considerations in the design included the desire to create a green oasis that allows trees to thrive and provide their ecosystem benefits while improving the microclimate of the square. The Urban Heat Island Effect posed a significant challenge at this location. To enable the trees to play a central role in this design, a different approach to water management was carefully implemented.
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The tree planting areas, designed to resemble volcanoes, feature our passive capillary irrigation system.
The square has been planted with a total of seven trees, supported by a water system comprising two components. The water buffer averages 35m² in size and can hold up to 72,000 liters of water. The above-ground planting areas, shaped like modern volcanoes, contain local soil capable of storing additional water, though the exact amount is unknown.
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As of 2024, the trees have completed their first growing season, and the design has won the Piranesi Honourable Mention 2024. This prestigious international architecture prize, established in 1989, recognizes 89 projects implemented across Europe.
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