Five-Day Workshop in Lecco, May 27-31, 2019
International Workshop of Urban and Architectural Design XII Edition: Contemporary Cities and Urban Regeneration
by Politecnico di Milano and Chulalongkorn University of Bangkok
I. Site Investigation
A walkthrough from a visitor's point of view.
Key points of interest
1 campanile San Nicolo 2 monument to Cermenati 3 vallo delle mura 4 palace of fears 5 alpinistic observatory 6 piazza xx settembre 7 torre viscontea 8 theatre of society 9 piazza manzoni 10 santuario di Nostra Signora della Vittoria 11 ponte azzone visconti 12 isola viscontea
Scattered within the fortress walls, Lecco’s historical timestamps present themselves the old ways of life evolved through the ages. As an important military base, an artificial island – Isola Viscontea, and a stone bridge – Ponte Visconti, had been built as major defensive control points on the River Adda. Nowadays, the two monuments are disregarded, the former a private island inaccessible for the public, and the latter a purely functional passage across the river. Their historical significance seems to have been forgotten over contemporary urban developments.
II. Our Proposal
Our proposal is to engage the public such that these places of special value are recognized and connected as a historical trail, and that users are able to enjoy these spaces with seating abutting the river, lush greenery of a multitude of flora and fauna, a public plaza with commercial services, steps down to the pristine water, a bridge to the island’s museum, a car-free Ponte Visconti, and a completed bike lane connecting Maggianico, Malgrate, and Pescate, with new levels of viewpoints towards the city and nature.
Transformation for Isola Viscontea and its neighboring urban space.
left to right, top to bottom:
1 pedestrian bridge to Isola Viscontea (currently non-existing) 2 pedestrianized ponte azzone visconti (diverting vehicle traffic to the nearby train-bridge) 3 view towards the opposite riverbank, with small docks as publicly-accessed recreational space 4 wood platform on water to be in touch with the river 5 lush greenery as visual cue for entry point to pedestrian bridge 6 view to the tip of Isola Viscontea, currently inaccessible to public 7 new direct access from Politecnico Lecco campus, through the unused warehouse to Isola Viscontea
The factory building near the island is replaced by a new tower with panoramic views towards Monte San Michele, San Martino, and Resegone. The tower’s height references the Campanile of the Santuario and that of San Nicolo at 96m. The interventions provide new perspectives for the rich history of the city and the existing landscape for the people of Lecco.
