Client
Isola Pepe Community

Location / Program / Area 
Milano / Public / 2.800 m²

Status / Date
Concept / 2018

UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES OF THE GAME AND SPACE

Isola Pepe Verde Community Garden

Isola Pepe Verde community garden offers opportunities which are green and recreative areas for each citizen – elders, children, adults and disabled people- The future of City of Milano lays in community gardens taken responsibility of citizens. The garden also offers hosting many cultural and art exhibitions, festivals, cinemas, workshops, courses and concerts.

Three Types of Space

For continuity of all activities during the year, the proposal of renewal garden space consists of three types of areas; strict, semi-flexible and flexible areas. Entire area is determined with the same general principles. The garden needs to have some strict areas like wc, storage, change room, entrance, atelier for daily programs under the semi-open area. The semi-open area consists of some areas composed with pallet walls. The walls used to organize space are made from recycled pallets. Furniture of the strict area is made from recycled plumping pipe and wood panels-bookshelf, sitting elements to gather, tables for workshops (kids and adults), corner for toddlers, fence for toddlers- The garden and eco-box area are defined as semi-flexible places because plants needs some strict areas. There are also flexible areas under the tree such as sitting and picnic areas from recycled plumping pipes, workplace for gardening. Utilisation of the rest of the area (except covered by plants) can be decided by IPV users.

The flexible area with many possibilities

Third type of the area is flexible area defined by IPV as playground space. The flexible area allows not only mobility, do it yourself principles and flexibility to organize easily annual programme for IPV community but also creativity, self-actualizing with unlimited possibilities for the games of children. Unlimited possibilities are shown nine examples which can applicate during the year such as two different playgrounds, festivals, cinemas, art-book exhibitions, concerts, parties, second-hand and craft markets, tree platforms (for caring big trees inside the space), labyrinth (for treasure hunts) etc. Especially for multi-functional space, ground fixes are proposed as grid systems. If the fixes are out of use according to the function, their coverings are close and hidden. The hidden fixes allow order and variability together. Shown nine examples are presented to describe the possibilities how to be increased.

Creating unlimited possibilities is the main purpose with basic rules and simple basic elements of recycled plumbing pipes, sticks, ropes, pipe fixes, panels, nets, textiles etc. in the three dimensional framework system. Children start to design own playgrounds. And also “grown children” of community can design their gardens for their needs according to annual programme due to this system.  

Modernist playground designer and architect Aldo Van Eyck mentioned in his book that “If they are not meant for children, they are not meant for citizens either. If they are not meant for citizens – ourselves – they are not cities.”

Other proposals related to the whole garden

Except from defined three spaces there are some extra suggested ideas for IPV garden.

• All ground coverings of the garden are permeable for rainwater.

• Car park area is also covered semi-vegetable covering to get to rainwater through the underground water resources and bicycle parks units integrated in the corner.

• To supply clean water current rainwater tanks are protected and are linked with the flush box and lavatory faucet. The rainwater dropped to the roofs of all buildings around IPV garden is gathered to utilize irrigation of gardens so the rainwater tanks units are increased.

• In the future, if Pepe Street will turn into a pedestrian and bike way, firstly above the street would be ivy planting covering. Thus pedestrians will be protected from the sun and the garden and tampon area will be compounded.

• Entrance of the IPV garden is not changed because of its adjacency to the exit of Milan metro. Big area in front of the door is reserved for emergency situations.