Arbo. Regeneration of the rail lands
Bolzano - Italy
- Masterplan design
Location
- Bolzano - Italy
Year
- 2011 - ongoing
Client
- Società Areale Bolzano ABZ S.p.A.
Activities
- Masterplan, concept
Costs
- 850 M euro
Area
- 30 ha
The project includes a regeneration master plan for urban development of the rail area in Bolzano, property of Ferrovie S.p.A., the state owned company of Italy's railway network, such area occupies about 30 hectares splitting the city into two parts.
The Memorandum of Understanding between the The Municipality of Bozen/Bolzano and the Railways envisage the recovery of the entire area to urban functions through the reorganisation of the railway area. The railway area is occupied by logistical and technical functions, and by the track route that cuts through the city from east to west.
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The project proposes the displacement of technical and logistic services outside the urban area and the definition of a new railway connection on the south side, enabling the reconnection of the separated urban settings. This will create space for new residential areas, business, commercial and leisure facilities, a new railway station and an intermodal hub.
On the west side, the project includes a residential area with courtyard blocks in spatial and formal continuity with the old city. The focal point is the new rail station, an underground space connecting the former passenger building and the new railroad tracks and the park beyond. This way, the station becomes a sheltered urban square, a 24-hour accessible boulevard and an interchange point among railway, shopping center, bus station and public parking spaces. The urban system is sheltered by a large canopy above the square up to the platform waiting areas. On the south side, as an extension of the boulevard, the station opens into a public park with leisure and sport facilities.
The north-south axis is characterized by high-rise office buildings standing on a podium with public services and a roof garden. The project also includes a new museum, organized in a disused industrial building, and an office tower, the new urban landmark.
