Architecture News Plus (ANP) – Architecture and Design Magazine

Piazza "Incontro tra i Popoli"

This is a project by De Amicis Architetti and it is located at Settimo Milanese, MI, Italy. Project's program: Square and underground garages. There are twelve images for Piazza "Incontro tra i Popoli".

: © Marco Introini

Project details

Project name: Piazza "Incontro tra i Popoli"
Location: Settimo Milanese, MI, Italy
Program: Square and underground garages
Area: Square area: 7,000 m • Underground parking area: 9,600 cm
Year: Project start: 2000 • Completion: 2003
Client: So.In.So
Project by: De Amicis Architetti
Team: Project planner: Giacomo De Amicis • Collaborators: Eugenia Silvestri • Project manager: Giacomo De Amicis

Project images

Designer's statement

Piazza "Incontro tra i Popoli" ("Meeting of People" Square):

The context in which the square lies is typical of urban peripheries: tower or linear buildings blocks are placed on the territory without providing any significant public spaces beyond those strictly designated for mobility.

The presence of continuous enclosures at the margins of this area and the consequent lack of points of reference or significant features to relate to, together with the large dimensions of the available space pointed to the development of a centripetal project resolved in such a way as to have the strength and weight to enable the definition of a new identity and a new system of relationships with its surroundings favouring the highlighting and valuing of the historical aspect towards the Palazzo Borromeo D'Adda now seat of the town council.

The project was born from an "ideas competition" promoted by the Settimo Milanese Town Council in 1997. It was then executed by developers as a contra-deal for the concession to build underground garages.

The need to defend the important ideas of the project whilst reducing the level of finish, suggested the use of "poor materials" in their raw state such as pine wood, copper, corten steel, lessinia stone and Indian porphyry.

Basement, "green walls", walls with built in features (such as tables, chairs etc.), trees, technical volumes and projecting roofs are the architectural elements of the new square. Their placement and use define the quality of the spaces.