Atelier Castello process was recently concluded. This procedure was conceived by the Municipal Council of Milan, in collaboration with the Triennale, to find a new layout for Piazza Castello, with a view to Expo 2015 and following the decision by the City's Exec. Committee to turn the area into a pedestrian precinct. The selected project was developed by Guidarini&Salvadeo + Snark and is called #nevicata14. In line with the plan, the paved area will be painted white as far as the entrance to the Castello. The area is designed to be versatile and uniform and will be free from all obstacles impeding access so that it can be enjoyed by all. All pavements and curbs will be removed, as well as poles, barriers, signs or traffic lights no longer in use. This material and perceptual unity will create a simplified area, ready to host a whole series of different events and exhibitions. It will be furnished like a stage including services and fittings such as seats, shaded areas and areas heated in winter, but also greenery with a system of potted trees.
Pierluigi Salvadeo, from the architectural firm Guidarini & Salvadeo, explained: “We called it 'nevicata' [snowfall] because we imagined a snowfall that would level the surfaces of the roads and pavements, to begin to think about the piazza in a different way”.
During the month of July, the eleven architectural firms involved in the Atelier Castello project (Studio Albori, Guidarini&Salvadeo, Morpurgo De Curtis, Onsite Studio, Obr Open Building Research, Matteo Fantoni Studio, Park Associati, Piuarch, Attilio Stocchi, Urbana e Marco Zanuso) submitted their plans and met with the people, who then expressed their views via an on-line survey. In addition, an exhibition was organised in November at the Triennale, putting all the projects on display. Finally, the jury, consisting of Marco Romano, Franco Purini, Paola Viganò and Francesca Bavestrelli, unanimously selected the #nevicata14 project, having examined the results from the public survey and decided on the #nevicata14 project for its quality and lightness, its reversibility and its capacity to respond to the immediate needs of the Expo, without risking to compromise the future layout of the area.
