TWO LOMBARD MICRO SQUARES
The projects for Piazza Vecchio Mulino and Piazza Dante in Linarolo share a strategy for the regeneration of public spaces understood as an open civic realm. An essential layout, composed of a few elements, structures a continuous surface that is flexible and designed to accommodate diverse collective activities.
Piazza Vecchio Mulino
The intervention in the area in front of the Vecchio Mulino in Linarolo was conceived with the aim of restoring identity and legibility to a long-marginalised space, redefining the hierarchies of the open space and enhancing the traces of agricultural archaeology present on the site.
The project takes shape as a measured urban device, capable of establishing a dialogue between memory and contemporaneity through an essential language.
At the core of the composition is a flexible central void, conceived as a free and continuous surface, free of permanent obstructions and suitable for accommodating multiple and variable uses throughout the year. This space is configured as a civic platform available for events, gatherings, and collective practices, encouraging spontaneous and inclusive use.
Around this core, a few linear elements are arranged: two wooden benches and a planter, which act as spatial regulators. These horizontal elements gently define the limits of the intervention, shaping the relationship between solid and void and recalling the edges of fields and agricultural plots typical of the Lombard landscape.
The design translates a recognisable territorial grammar into a contemporary form, creating a subtle but clear dialogue with the rural context.
Piazza Dante
The new Piazza Dante, in direct relation to the municipal building, is conceived as a fully pedestrianised intervention aimed at redefining the civic role of the open space. The project takes the threshold as its main device: a linear steel element defines the operational perimeter of the square, clearly marking the transition between vehicular areas and the pedestrian surface, while introducing a sense of protection and guidance for circulation flows.
The ground is treated as a continuous stone surface, articulated through differentiated geometries that generate a readable and carefully calibrated pattern. The paving thus becomes a spatial organising device capable of suggesting uses and pathways without relying on rigid partitions, while maintaining the perception of a unified and open field.
Within this layout, three individual elements are introduced: a pair of wood and steel benches and a commuter shelter, which act as urban activation tools. The benches define the edge of the multifunctional central void, conceived to accommodate variable configurations linked to events and collective practices, while the shelter introduces a recognisable geometric marker capable of integrating infrastructural needs into the overall design.
