Giardino dell'Arno

BACKSTORY OF ARNO RIVER

The Arno River is deeply rooted within the history of Florence, the river has served the people of Florence with work, transportation, and festivals. The existence of this waterway has allowed for Florence’s economy and society to flourish. But while the river gives, it also takes away. The Arno River has also brought the city death and destruction. Back in 1966, the Arno overflowed to the city, submerging most of the city. The lives of 101 people were carried away by the stream of water, many art masterpieces and rare books were damaged or destroyed, and properties were destroyed. Although the river has caused trauma to the city of Florence, the two are inseparable. Although the destruction that the river brings to the city is painful and still evident to this day, it should also be able to empower and give a positive outlook to the people of Florence.

Currently, the site is called Terzo Giardino. It has a distinctive landscape pattern that follows the traditional Italian garden. It includes two types of areas; the first being a geometric parterre defined by a series of squares each with and X shape within, lined up along the walls of Lungarno Serristori and the second being a wall of vegetation placed closer to the river. This landscape was designed back in 2012 and has ever since become a distinct part of the Arno Riverbanks. Terzo Giardino, as it currently functioned as a passive garden, with minimal interaction from the people around. 

Terzo Giardino needs and can be an active place of the city, one that impacts the quality of the cityscape and also plays a role in Florence’s tourism.  On the other hand, creating healthy public spaces is also proven to improve a lot of societal and economical aspects of the city. A garden in the city can improve sentiment of the locals, reduce crime rates, and improve the surrounding air quality. And so, our team set on a mission to reimagine and rebrand Terzo Giardino, giving this place back to the river as a tribute to the force that has given to and takes from Florence; “The Garden of Arno”, or Giardino dell'Arno in Italian.

Other than serving as a common public place, Giardino dell'Arno also serves other functions. Located 25 minutes from the Aeroporto di Firenze "Amerigo Vespucci", Giardino dell'Arno sits in the heart of Florence, giving this place a big potential to become a tourism center. Tourists can gather information about the city (both the history and the tourist’s destination) while visiting the Arno river which divides the city into halves at the same time. The Arno River is also used for rafting by locals and tourists. To further promote tourism, a rafting shelter is incorporated within the design, so that people can also enjoy the river. Giardino dell'Arno is an integrated tourism center, one that not only serves tourists, but also the locals.

DESIGN PROCESS

In reimagining Terzo Giardino, the basic geometric shape of what made this place kept as it is plays a big role in its distinctiveness. The selected two-dimensional geometry is each raised with slightly different elevation to create an array of masses varying in heights. These masses are interconnected with a series of staircases, creating a multi-layered public space. Each mass is then subtracted with an arched profile as a response to the surrounding area that has a strong architectural impression of the renaissance era.

The formation of the subtracted space creates a buffer for the water in the case of a flood, making the place ‘flood-ready’. A stepped staircase leading to the water can be found bordering the Giardino dell’Arno area. Here, people can experience the Arno River directly by maybe having a dip, or just sitting alongside the water. The new form is designed to be distinctive yet humble, to not overthrow the characteristic and charm of Florence, but to enhance the visual character of the city. Thus, Giardino dell'Arno is born, a reimagined landmark at the heart of Florence.

MATERIAL

Gabion was chosen to be the main material of this project. Not only the shade of stone resembles the one that are used on buildings in the surroundings, but the gaps between the rock formation helps to break down the wave in an event of a rapid displacement of the water. Gabion also allows for soil to be placed on top, which then can be developed into a green grass roof.

Initially, the new Giardino dell'Arno connects the characteristics of Terzo Giardino and the history of the 1966 Arno floods through flood-resistant design. Giardino dell'Arno aims to shift the public’s paradigm in the incident that happened in the past with a positive outlook. Giardino dell'Arno is a tribute to the Arno River, the river that empowers the city, and the one that can wipe it all away.