Requalification of the railway station area of Chiasso

The team proposes a soft urban design aimed to give value to the pre-existing buildings, which are substantially maintained and sewn to the newly designed complex of two fashion schools: SAMS and STA, the art and craft school of fashion design and the high school of fashion. The team designs a urban hub, which is at the same time, a hinge between the city and the territory and metaphorically between practice and culture of fashion. The new volumes are open and transparent. They produce a urban space, a walk through commercial and cultural places. The activities which will happen and the people at work both participate in the scenary of this new urban design for Chiasso. The team translates in this way the role of the school buildings in contemporary: they are manifestos and windows of what happens inside, small cities of knowledge exchange, spaces where the process is exhibited as well as products and finally a place at disposal to be activated by the community after the school hours. The jury, headed by architect Cattaneo, from Bellinzona, defined the project as the one which fits in the context in the best way and particularly appreciates the layout structure of the new school complex.