SANTA CHIARA PARK
1st PRIZE
RFQ for the Schematic Design and the Design Development of the “Water and Sports Park Santa Chiara" and Works for a Sustainable Mobility
Program Public park, sports and cultural center
Team Valerio Franzone, 3C+T Capolei Cavalli A.A., Studio A&P Architetura del Paesaggio
Client Municipality of Rende
Collaborators Proges Engineering (structural engineering), Modimar Ingegneria (hydraulic engineering)
Location Rende (Cosenza), Italy
Area 70.000 m2
Year 2010/2012 Completed 2017
Link Google Maps
Santa Chiara Park aims to create an ecological system that works as a connecting element between the city of Rende, the new river park, and the surrounding rural area. The proposed strategy is implemented by a mixed rural fabric composed of zones with different natural gradients that are structured following a strategy that creates a system of relations. To this end, three main variables have been considered to reach a systemic continuity with the surroundings: the existing functions, their naturalization levels, and the mobility systems.
The project -composed of two buildings and a park- fulfills various permanent and temporary functions -recreational, sport, cultural- allowing for future ones to be added. It is a complex system capable of increasing the visitors’ connection with nature and culture.
Following this principle, the park contains two ponds -connected by a depuration system- shaped as a singular landscape element and containing a restaurant island, different natural zones to diversify the landscape and stimulating the curiosity of the visitors, sports areas, playgrounds, and zones for temporary events. The design strategy locates all the functions not following rigid zoning but divides and spreads them to obtain multiple poles that are superimposed to the natural environment. The aim is to obtain a multicolored and unpredictable patchwork landscape, a place where behind every tree there’s a surprise, instead of a rigid zoning ruled by economical or functional rules.
