Viale Brigate Partigiane - Genova
The arrangement of greenery in the Ligurian capital in perfect fusion with the existing road layout
THE TERMINAL SECTION OF THE BISAGNO TORRENT, WHICH CAUSED REPEATED FLOODS, HAS BEEN COVERED TO CREATE A MAJOR ROAD AXIS ADORNED WITH FLOWER BEDS THAT HAVE BECOME ICONIC SYMBOLS OF GENOA
Photo credits: A.S.Ter, Municipality of Genoa
Project details
VIALE BRIGATE PARTIGIANE
Genoa
CLIENT
City of Genoa
DESIGNERS
A.S.Ter Azienda Servizi territoriali del Comune di Genova
LANDSCAPE DESIGNERS
Gigliola Genta, Anna Utke, Annamaria Airenti
COLLABORATORS
Riccardo Albericci, Paola Bocca, Domenico Palumbo, Alessandro Savio
HARPO VERDEPENSILE SYSTEM INSTALLATION CONTRACTOR
A.S.Ter Spa (Genoa)
YEAR
2009-2021
HARPO VERDEPENSILE SYSTEM
Intensive light
“Genoa is a city stingy with spaces, and in the past decades, concrete areas have multiplied,” says botanical technician Riccardo Albericci, author and popular speaker of excellence, “a choice that is counterproductive from an environmental point of view, as the most recent floods suffered by the city have shown.
The creation of this major road axis, featuring iconic flower beds, was made possible by covering the terminal stretch of the Bisagno torrent, which had caused repeated flooding.
“In the past, these flowerbeds were simple earth fillings surrounded by stone borders,” Albericci explains. “Today, with the evolution of green roof systems, the constructive systems of above-ground flowerbeds on architectural artifacts allow the improvement of both agronomic performance and the hydraulic-structural problems that these solutions entail.
The use of a technological system was necessary instead of restoring the original construction. “The most recent municipal regulations require the control of first rainwater runoff”-specifies the technician-“moreover, the solution allows for a substrate that, in its limited depth, can guarantee a good level of fertility to whatever type of greenery is decided to be planted.”
A sustainable choice, even in a dramatically topical scenario such as the drought season we are going through: the introduction of new technology irrigation systems in fact guarantees a drastic reduction in water consumption. And, for an area that exceeds 5800 square meters in size, the response, in terms of waste economy, is basic.
The project’s inclusion among Italy’s 40 most striking is due not only to its technological advancements but also to the harmonious integration of flowerbed designs with the existing street layout. The absolute protagonist, in fact, remains, of course, the green layout. “We have tried to give course to the seasonality to the modularity of colors and shapes”-specifies Albericci-“each section can be enriched and enlivened at will, to accent the vegetational décor of ever-changing tones, in harmony with the suggestions of the moment.”
Text from Genova24-14.07.2022