Rovinj | Antonio Aurigemma

PROGRAMME 

            As the “Return to the sea” programme plans, the project foresees residential function together with public, commercial, sport and recreation utilities. Particular importance is given to the urban ambient, and everything is conceived to have the best quality of life.

            The promenade should be the connection axis among the different areas of the town of Rovinj. On its platforms people can take a walk from the new port to the old town, and the site can be the starting point to the future growth of other areas along the coast.

EXPLANATION OF HOW THE PROJECT ADDRESSES THE PROBLEMS RAISED BY THE EUROPAN 5 THEME

            The programme of the competition requires a solution capable of integrating spaces with the existing nature and a new residential area into a whole that can guarantee a good quality of life for the residents, the necessary structures for the visitors, and the connections to the other parts of the town.

            Different activities are foreseen in the Public Spaces:

commercial utilities at the ground floor;

recreation utilities: the old railway station building becomes a warm and characteristic restaurant on the sea while other spaces can be found in the commercial area;

public utilities: the kinderkarten and the nursery school at the ground floor of the “Seagull” building, which could have also different fuctions in accordance with the requirements of the Administration;

cultural utilities: the old engine depot comes into use as an expositions’ hall, after adequate rehabilitation and appropriate lighting system;

two squares are in the site. One is located between block “A” and block “B” and is surrounded by a commercial area with a large flower-bed in the centre and garden benches. The second is in an open space, and it is divided in three parts:
a place covered by a tensostructure, in the shape of starfish, under which on a simple platform children shows can be represented;

a circular playground for children with garden benches for their parents;

a covered wooden pier with other garden benches where to stay;

a sport centre is foreseen on the east side: a soccer playground and a minigolf in the open air, a bar and various utilities inside complete the equipment.

            Walkways are particularly important:

a new covered wooden promenade, replacing the old railway tracks, connects the site with the north and south parts of the town.The covering is made by wooden pillar- beams carrying wooden rods to break sunlight. Little wooden piers are attached, as crescent, to the promenade, to allow walks near to the sea, swimming and sun bathing. Along the sea-front people can find newspaper and ice cream kiosks and other utilities. On the north side one of the piers becomes a port for small boats for citizens’ use;

some other wooden platforms are located in one of the squares and at the entrance of the sport centre;

the other walkways in the site and near the parking lots are made in stabilized earth, to better integrate themselves with existing green.

            Nature is considered very important, being one of the main elements that denote urban quality:

a pathway shows the entrance to the pine wood;

many other trees of different varieties belonging to the same families are planted in the site;

green gardens are everywhere.

            The type of House Units aims at answering to one of the peculiarity of contemporany society: the request for houses varies in accordance with the type of persons, and the type and size of families; therefore the project proposes different flats from 55 sq.m. to 110 and more sq.m., trying to satisfy the needs of both the young couples, looking for their first house (small and cheap), and the larger families.

            Traffic Network and parking lots are studied to serve the site without producing problems to the internal walkways and to the residential area.

            The Architecture Of The Project is tightly connected to the nature and the position of the site:

the contour lines design the trend of the buildings;

the heliothermic axis determines the orientation, to obtain the best sun irradiation;

the interior distribution is conceived to guarantee the best sight orientation;

one of the buildings has the form of a seagull.