Designing Verona outside the ancient walls. Thinking about the future of a city known to the world for its outstanding artistic heritage but unfortunately often lacking in its urban planning, it’s a topic that architecture can not miss. Several projects, some of great firms, has passed through the hands of various administrations. Projects that focused mainly in redevelopment of large brownfield, projects now in part started after several changes, with the primary goal of placing advanced functions that Verona needs for her growth. In parallel and independently from that there is a debate that currently is more political-technical than social, it concern the implementation of the high speed rail system (AV) that is currently developing around the country, and sees Verona in a position of great advantage being in the crossroads of two important European infrastructural corridors.
I took a chance with my friend and fellow to become part in this debate, drawing inspiration from this fragmented scenario, focusing my attention on the issue of transport infrastructure as an element of consistency between projects and opportunities at stake.
So here it comes the design of the new AV (high speed rail) station, not as an extension of the existent railway station as planned by the administration, but decentralized, strategically located, new port, communication interface between the existing city, the vast redevelopment area with theirs innovative/strategic features and the world outside. A node of interconnection between different transport modes at local, regional and international level, that creates order and hierarchy according to functionality and efficiency criteria. A symbol, a new highly visible territorial markers, for the re-growth of a city, that is beautiful but also silently industrious.