Fontana Square
Labics
ARCHITECTS
Labids
STATUS
Built
AREA
5000 sqft - 10,000 sqft
BUDGET
$1M - 5M
YEAR
2011
LOCATION
Rozzano, Italy
TYPE
Cultural › Cultural Center Landscape + Planning › Urban Green Space
Urban design for a public square in Rozzano, a suburb of Milan, offering the local community a flexible and shared outdoor space.
The aim of this project was to create a new, flexible and welcoming landscape for the local neighbourhood which would satisfy the community’s complex and continuously changing needs.
Labics’ intention was to make a space which would also trigger new, unplanned uses whilst retaining a strong local identity.
A public consultation helped the municipality to define a very precise brief, accommodating the many different requirements and aspirations of the local community.
The geometrical pattern of the landscape is based on a dense grid of ‘golden rectangles’ (i.e. rectangles with side lengths in the golden ratio of 1:1.6), the dimensions of these determining every element of the square from the planting to the paving.
A system of triangular shapes inside this orthogonal pattern helps to define the various natural and artificial surface treatments within the landscape, which include water, stone, lawn, shrubs and planted beds.
A variety of trees, including cherries, pears, birches and acacias, has been planted to ensure a changing display of blossom and colour throughout the year.
The paving is composed of a variety of materials ranging from local stone to iroko timber and concrete.
To emphasise the lightly undulating topography of the square, the landscape has been artificially ‘bended’ to create a dynamic space.
A contemporary sculpture which acts as a gateway to the neighbourhood, benches and a pavilion/info point populate the square, providing spaces for play, relaxation and interaction.
