REQUALIFICATION OF SCHIAVONEA SEAFRONT

The theme of waterfronts redevelopment, whether urban or bathing, with great extentions or covering only one beach, is becoming increasingly the subject of designers studies. A combination of events and opportunities are concentrated on the boundary line between land and sea, trying to reshape the limits, sometimes winning and sometimes giving portions of land. The main theme, exacerbated by global warming, appears to be the increase of the mean sea level, with the consequent security issue related to coastal populations. Recently, in Italy, the issue of the duration and form of public concessions generates great debate and movement of economic interests.
The proposal for the Schiavonea waterfront is part of this environmental and urban redevelopment strand, since it is characterized by some living density behind the coast, by a coastal road built on functionalist standards, by a seaside partially structured and strongly used. Partially influenced by the material contained in the preliminary design document, our proposal has been structured around the concept of recovery of the relationship between the urban area and the beach, through the mediation with the natural space of the dune.
Proceeding with the description for elements, we just started with the breaking element, that is the existing road. It is an excessively infrastructured element, with roundabouts, intersections, width lane and parking. The attempt to re-design this important element is based on the insertion of a central bone, with urban services, and traffic lanes separated by the central bone itself, creating a sort of ring circulation amongst the palm trees and the Coriglianeto stream.
The flow-sharing and the creation of a central public space should ease pedestrian crossing since the traffic is divided and the crossing space has urban characteristics. Therefore, if on the one hand the consequence is a larger size of the road section, on the other hand urban space gains in quality. The central bone will be equipped with various services, such as gardens, kiosks and basketball courts, to make attractive a space that mediates the relationship between urban and seashore, to serve the people living behind the beach. Needless to say, the provision of facilities and services shall extend the periodicity of the usable space, as the beach may not be the only attraction of the site.