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An urban regeneration project that has reinvented a part of the town that was abandoned for over forty years
For forty years, the former Venturi vinegar factory in Lugo, in the province of Ravenna, stood abandoned and closed to the town. Like many of the industrial sites that dot Italian cities and towns, perimeter walls continued to keep people away long after the factory inside had closed.
The urban regeneration project conceived by Alessandro Bucci Architetti (ABA) re-opened up this triangular site near Lugo’s railway station, returning to residents a part of the town that was unknown to most.
Bordering railroad tracks, for many years the site’s impenetrable perimeter wall not only hid the factory buildings, with their reinforced concrete frames and low roofs, but also added to the urban and social division in Lugo created by the railroad. The aim of the project was therefore not only to open the site but also to reconnect two parts of the town and create an identity for a space that was previously out of bounds.
The new district interacts with its surroundings on every level. What previously marked the boundaries of the site are now roads, the vertices of the triangle marking important traffic junctions. Alongside green and service spaces, cycle and pedestrian paths crisscross the development, making it completely permeable.
The architects from ABA approached permeability, accessibility, and the use of space as both functional and social questions. This led to a varied, articulate plan, combined with an offering of services that will attract visitors throughout the day. A combination of retail, foodservice, welfare, residential, and health services on the one site have transformed a previously poorly served area into a new urban hub.
From a compositional and architectural point of view, the site has essentially been organized into two parts: located away from the perimeter roads to reduce the impact of its large size, the retail area occupies the central section and acts as a center of gravity. Meanwhile, the services and apartments occupy more compact buildings on three levels along the site’s southwest frontage, creating a rhythmic pattern that dialogues with the residential buildings opposite.
>>> Read about the redevelopment of the area occupied by the former Neri distillery in Faenza.
The aim of creating a new relationship with the surrounding areas of the town resulted in an understated architecture style and materials, which, despite differences, successfully create a harmonious relationship with the setting. Opaque and transparent elements alternate, creating a clear compositional rhythm, with different finishes used to mark the residential and retail sections.
A vertical element stands out from the development like a landmark, signaling to both locals and people passing through by rail or road that this new part of the town is now open.
>>> Read about the redevelopment of the former Rimini exhibition center.
Location: Lugo, Ravenna, Italy
Architects: Alessandro Bucci Architetti
Completion: 2021
Area: 20.100 m2
Client: Commercianti Indipendenti Associati
Structural project: Marco Peroni Ingegneria, Faenza
Systems Engineering: Studio Energia, Faenza
Photography by Pietro Savorelli, courtesy of Alessandro Bucci Architetti
