Ex-Fibronit - Redevelopment Project

The theme of reuse is the key theme of this urban intervention. It’s a concept often related to the requalification of production areas in the modern cities, particularly following the deindustrialisation process happened from ‘70s, a period in which the factories moved from the city to the more peripheral areas throughout Europe, leaving behind empty and crumbling “wrecks”. In the Apulian territory one of the most notorious and complex example is the Ex-Fibronit ones. This abandoned container of approximately 100.000mq, of which 39.000 covered by industrial buildings and warehouses, is placed in one of the central points of Bari, right next important public places (the University, executive areas, etc.) and in connection with the railways which leads to Bari Central station. Therefore, there is no doubt about its great potentiality as extended “empty” space in the city centre. Analysing the project in response to these recovery need, and observing north to south, in via Oberdan the plan is characterized by the presence of a multi-purpose complex (commerce, facilities, belvedere terraces) organised in open courtyard buildings, which constitute a compact facade along the way. There are public squares within each courtyard. New linking routes to “quartiere Madonnella” are inserted between the buildings. Hard left, there is an artificial embankment, covered by grassland and shrubs, supporting a railway viaduct which moves the railway on a level different from the road one, resolving the problem of intersection between railway and road. Subsequent to the viaduct construction, it has been possible the dismantlement of the previous railway and, on its layout, it’s structured the organization of a great square, equipped with decorative greenery, hedges, chair seats and a series of pavilions, placed below the viaduct, for hosting the street market. Moving southbound, this space is progressively fragmented by a series of pedestrian paths which start in via Caldarola (which skirts entirely the East area) within an apartment complex planned therein. This complex has, on the ground floor, a floor commercial only. Between the apartment complex and the square, there are two pine groves equipped with urban furniture. In the total opposite direction from viaduct, in via Amendola (which skirts entirely the West area), it’s planned the resume of an historical building for which is expected the creation of a restaurant with a small linking park to the great garden of two pre-existing apartment buildings. The Est side of these pre-existing structures interfaces visually with the new square previously described, but a linear park relative to ground is placed between this new square and the two previous ones (it preserves the layout of the abandoned railway as for the square). Urban furniture,
tree-lined streets and a cycle path are inserted within this median space. It’s built a small ludic park south from these apartment buildings. Moving southward, straight after the ludic park there is a services complex and a tertiary one for which it’s planned the creation of a great tree-lined parking lot. All this system of public areas, placed in the northern part of area ends in the great urban element represented by a new urban hub. This urban hub is designed as a bridge on a new connecting route between via Postiglione (on the West side) and via Peucezia (on the East side). This new route is a great tree-lined street equipped with a Cycle path. The Urban hub is a great inter-modal junction of different types’ mobility, other than a building and a dedicated area for relax and free time. Reaching the urban hub through the railway (placed on the viaduct), it’s possible both getting inside the hub’s different levels and moving towards a great urban park designed on the East side of the station, where once stood the factory. The park is characterized by extended green area fitted with trees and a series of installations which traces the pavilions’ pillars of the Fibronit dismantled and reclaimed complex. Furthermore, it should be noticed the presence of a decorative stone chippings, to remind the old structure’s perimeter, enhanced in some parts through the collocation of decorative greenery, gardens, water pools and of treatments different from the close surface. The ground is partially preserved at the original quota, while some areas are lifted between 1 and 3m to reasons linked to the recovery. The park has two entries on via Caldarola and one on via Amendola. Moving southward the park landscape turns from artificial green area to a more naturalistic wooded area, till ending at far south in Magna Grecia bridge. The pre-existing greenery of Monastero di Santa Teresa Nuova and of Divella mental institution (placed in via Amendola) are ecologically integrated in the park system. This pre-existing greenery is enlarged southward to work as area of mediation between the railway and the new academic area. Via Caldarola is subjected to a rearrangement, the traffic is restricted to a single direction of motion, there is the enlargement of sidewalks, the addition of a cycle path and of great tree-lined streets. The greenery equipped with ludic and sport tools, overlooking via Caldarola, is reorganised and improved. The structure open for public are expanded with the insertion of a sports centre consisting of a sports hall and a series of playing fields. This new area overlooks via Peucezia, which is subjected to a reorganization with the reduction of space available for roadway in favour of green areas, tree-lined streets and rest shaded areas. The route is also subjected to a change of its itinerary, moving the junction with via Caldarola to allow traffic to flow effortlessly into a complex junction in which also arrives the great arterial road coming from via Postiglione. All the streets which cross the new urban parks are equipped with traffic dividers and tree-lined rows to underline the constant presence of green element which expands, moving here and there in the blocks and linearly along the routes. It’s planned, south of the Magna Grecia bridge, the insertion of new rail yards, reusing an abandoned warehouse. Furthermore, it’s planned on the other side, in correspondence of via Caldarola, the development and enlargement of a system of pre-existing vegetable gardens.