Lungo il Muro {Along the Wall}

While roaming the area of the Centurione vehicular station, someone can notice that there are many unutilized or abandoned areas, and there is no space for social gatherings at any point of the day. Children were seen playing on the roads, in between traffic, while well-located vistas and panoramas were unoccupied during the day. Through ‘Lungo il Muro’, we do not attempt to replace the functions of the new Lagacio area but to complement them. At the same time, the proposal has been designed specifically for the Vista Panoramica of Via Bari, the proposed design also attempts to activate a place-making mechanism which appeals to the neighbourhood's locals not only to the proposed areas but along the Linea Verde. A design toolbox was compiled by studying different areas of the Linea Verde, including both symbolic and functional elements, which slowly got integrated into the design. During the process of the proposal, those elements got translated to the playground, the meeting point (water element) and the watchtower with a summer open cinema. These additions are part of the extension of the existing retaining wall and create a new language between old and new due to the different treatments of masonry stone. A new language composed by interlaying polished and rough stoned as processed from the local quarries inspired by the contrasting colours of marble seen in different important buildings in the city of Genova, like the Cattedrale di San Lorenzo and the arcade of the Chiesa di Santo Stefano. The proposal goes along the existing retaining wall and extends where needed while leaving openings where the old meets the new. From afar, the monolithic character of the ‘Lung il Muro’ stands out. However, as someone approaches it, the three components begin to stand out through walking and pausing moments. From the playground to the watchtower, all along the wall. ‘Along the Wall’ first makes reference to regional physical and social archaeology, but it also raises concerns about architectural legacy and how it fits into a larger cultural context. Reminding us that recognizing and spreading via construction the poetic potential inherent within the structural and aesthetic features of all materials accessible that comprise the vocabulary of all architectural languages is the foundation of literacy in the built world.