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NEW AGRAS OF AGRATE

COMPETITION FOR THE REDEVELOPMENT PROJECT OF THE CENTRAL AREA

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Project team:

1. Paolo Galantini (Team Leader)

2. Giuseppe Bentivoglio 

3. Paolo Bentivoglio 

3. Marco Biondi

4. Alberto Luciano

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Location: Agrate Brianza, Monza Brianza

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The project has developed according to the three degrees of design - technical-economic, definitive and executive feasibility - and is currently under construction, following the victory of the invitation-only competition announced by the Administration of the Municipality of Agrate Brianza and following the participation in the Competition of Ideas previously announced by the same Municipality, resulting in a 4th place project.

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THE PROJECT

The area subject to urban redevelopment is included in a quadrilateral consisting of some of the streets in the center of Agrate Brianza - via Cesare Battisti, via Ugo Foscolo, via Giuseppe Mazzini, piazza Sant'Eusebio and via San Paolo - and is wholly owned by the Common.

The project stems from the desire to give back to the town an urban polarity that is the fulcrum of the development of social aggregation activities, through the creation of a green and vital space that organizes the whole square. The objectives set and pursued were:

- construction of an urban park, roof or not, set on an organization of triangular-shaped flower beds, mostly with variable inclination but still practicable, with integrated seats along the edges;

- planting of new tree species;

- installation of play areas for children;

- construction of a new bar, as a meeting place, with NZEB (Nearly Zero Emission Building) characteristics;

- creation of a walk that directly connects via Ugo Foscolo with piazza Sant Eusebio;

- construction of an underground car park below the square, as a preservation of the current function of the square, even going to expand it  further.

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The urban park. 

The architectural design originates from a triangular matrix, which creates numerous flower beds distributed over the entire surface of the square, some of them characterized by light intensive green roofing with turf (those located above the roof of the car park) and by a system RIC, i.e. controlled water saving. Some of these flowerbeds rise from the ground, starting from zero up to a maximum height of 80 cm, always remaining practicable by park users and thus creating what have been defined as "green splinters". These are enclosed within a particular system of benches. The perimeter curb of the flower beds from level zero rises to an average height of 40 cm, where half of its width becomes the seat of the bench, while the other half continues to grow up to the maximum height of 80 cm, becoming the back of this bench last. By breaking up the maximum height difference in this way, not only are the containment walls of the flower beds functionally exploited, but the use of parapets is also avoided, used only where the differences in height are very substantial, such as at the top of the splinters that mark the entrances to the underground car park. The curbs / seats are made of white photocatalytic smoothed concrete, that is a type of cement that allows the abatement of harmful and polluting substances.

In the center of the square, in front of the west wall of the new bar, there is a satin fountain, equipped with columnar nozzles to create water features, integrated with RGB LED lighting to create plays of light and reflecting system. that is, a system that exploits the natural reflecting properties of water, thus creating a large outdoor mirror that allows you to amplify the view of the park.

Two green areas, among those not inclined, are characterized by play areas for children. In particular, the large flat sliver north of the park hosts a complex circular-based game, designed for older and more adventurous children who want to try their hand at climbing; while the more modest flat triangular area located in front of the south side of the bar hosts traditional spring toys, suitable for younger children. The flooring under these games is made of rubber, the so-called anti-shock flooring, designed specifically for the safety and safety of the little ones.

The park in the south-east area, in front of the Church of Sant'Eusebio, is completed with a pergola in white painted steel profiles and characterized by a 45 ° inclined steel slat roof, which creates a large shaded area. beneath which seats are installed, in order to create a cozy and pleasant environment suitable for socializing but also for relaxation and reading.

On the large rectangular flowerbed in the southern area of the park, which runs alongside the huge San Paolo condominium, characterized by green roofs, supports for statues are placed. This is not only an area to be restored to green for the community and the city, but also a moment of enjoyment of art and culture.

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The tree species.

Given that most of the square is spread over a roof slab, belonging to the underground car park, and the green areas are necessarily made up of hanging green, it was necessary to choose tree species that reached not too high heights and with characteristics physical and therefore of weight that did not burden too much on the loads of the attic. In particular, the essences chosen for the insistent areas on the roof slab are:

  • Cercis Siliquastrum(Siliquastro), 1 specimen planted in the flowerbed near the southwest entrance of the promenade, which reaches a maximum height of 5 m;

  • Acer Globosum(Acero Globoso), 2 specimens planted in the second flowerbed located with respect to the southwest entrance to the promenade, also reaching a maximum height of 5 m.

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All the other tree species included in the project are inserted in flower beds outside the underground parking area and therefore can sink their roots directly into the natural soil. The essences in question, with a maximum height between 5 and 30 m, are:

  • Quercus Robur (Farnia), 5 specimens inserted in the large flowerbed to the north, surrounding the circular game (max 30 m);

  • Morus Alba (White Mulberry), 1 non-fruiting specimen inserted in the second splinter at the south-east entrance of the promenade (max 15 m);

  • Cercis Siliquastrum (Siliquastro), 1 specimen placed in the flowerbed at the south-east entrance of the promenade (max 5 m).

 

There are also shrub species, with a maximum height of 1m, both in the flowerbeds on the ground and in the basement. In particular:

  • Olea Fragrans (Osmato), 3 specimens in the north area in front of the bar's shoe wall and 1 specimen in front of the south wall of the bar. All 4 specimens are found along the wall on the border of the neighboring property. 7 specimens are then planted in the flowerbed behind the pergola in the south-east area in front of the church;

  • Osmanthus Aquifolium(Osmanthus), 4 specimens planted in the flower beds along the southern border of the adjacent property;

  • Photinia(Fotinia), 10 specimens are planted in the south, in the flowerbed that is located along the border with the San Paolo condominium, and another 4 specimens in the triangular flower beds always along the southern border of the promenade.

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The promenade and the paths.

The walk creates a direct connection between via Ugo Foscolo and piazza Sant'Eusebio. In particular, a material continuity with Piazza Sant'Eusebio was created by using a granite similar to the existing one and above all by extending one of the strips that radiate from the center of the square itself, which bouncing along the edges of the new promenade creates the design of a "lightning bolt that marks its entire path. The flooring is made of local granite slabs, with bush-hammered wire saw processing and arranged orthogonally to the path, rectangular in shape and variable in size. Occasionally the walk can be made accessible to small vehicles for the organization of temporary exhibitions or markets.

The flower beds are connected to each other by a system of entirely pedestrian paths, finished in architectural concrete with borders and joints in Corten steel sheet.

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The bar.

The business is publicly owned but privately managed. It is part of that category of new buildings that starting from December 2018 must have NZEB (Nearly Zero Energy Building) energy characteristics, i.e. buildings with almost zero emissions. In fact, the building was designed with external cladding covered with thermal insulation in EPS (sintered expanded polystyrene), which in the parts in contact with the ground and on the roof becomes XPS (extruded expanded polystyrene) as it is more compact and water resistant. The roof is completed with an extensive green area in Sedum, that is an impracticable roof garden that requires low maintenance and no need for irrigation, except in periods of severe drought. The building is completed on the south and west walls by a large continuous window, characterized by thermally insulated frames and thermal break glass with “Sun Block” technology, which allows the non-use of brise-soleil.

Architecturally speaking, the bar looks like a volume with a quadrangular geometry and irregular heights on each side. The volume is finished externally with a white photocatalytic plaster, which creates material continuity with the finishes of the seats. In addition, the east side is characterized by two grids, also painted in white, to give ventilation to the technical rooms hosting the motors of the air conditioning systems of the bar, but also to break the material continuity of the masonry; while on the north side characterized by an inclined wall, called a scarp wall, a Corten steel door is built, for access to the fire-fighting technical room.

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The underground parking.

The perimeter structure is made by means of diaphragms in reinforced concrete cast on site with a depth of 8.5 m and a thickness of 50 cm and prefabricated floors. It has a capacity of 54 parking spaces, with access regulated by bars with timed tickets and equipped with a video surveillance system. The ventilation of this space is guaranteed thanks to large grilled areas, both vertically along the parking access ramp, and horizontally along the promenade, perfectly integrated with the overall architecture of the project. The entrance to the car park is built on via Ugo Foscolo and is characterized by a second pergola in horizontal and vertical profiles in white painted steel, which descending downwards cover and accompany the descent to the basement.

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THE PLANTS

Public lighting.

The lighting of the square was conceived in such a way as to be minimally invasive and light and to highlight its shapes, cuts and architecture. The light sources used are all LED in order to minimize energy consumption and contain light pollution, but at the same time guarantee high quality of operation over time and easy maintenance.

The paths are illuminated by 16 columns of about 5 m in height, characterized by an essential and flexible design in terms of configuration: in fact, on each pole it is possible to mount one or two superimposed luminous heads, with rotationally symmetrical downward light emission or asymmetrical, so as to illuminate only in the desired direction. All the products on the pole are controlled in DALI, that is a remote system with which it is possible to manage and implement various lighting scenarios according to the time, always reconfiguring the square in a different way and with a view to greater energy savings.

While the paths are evenly lit, the green areas are left with a more subdued and atmospheric light and the seats are characterized by an accent of light created by integrating linear LED sources facing the flooring. This creates a scenario that enhances the perspectives of the square.

The pergola installed on the south-east side of the urban park, in front of Piazza Sant'Eusebio, is characterized by such lighting as to highlight the structure and the green backdrop behind it, creating a welcoming and relaxing atmosphere.

The bar, not yet fully defined in the interior spaces, should provide lighting such as to make the large glass surfaces a sort of lantern for the square, also playing with RGB scenarios together with the positioning of 7 downlights, one for each internal pillar, for light them on the face facing the square and should remain on during the night. It would also be thought of coloring the back walls of the bar by using RGBW LED STRIPs, while above the tables a type of lighting could be inserted that can play with the reflections of glass and water, giving the sensation of floating elements.

Even the underground car park as regards the lighting of its environments, both relating to the parking and the various technical annexes present, takes advantage of the advantages of LED lighting technology, for which there is a very long life span of each lighting body, energy consumption reduced and high quality of light together with its more pleasant and better color rendering, given by the white LEDs.

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Video surveillance (CCTV).

The project involves the construction of a video surveillance system, divided into two parts:

- one relating to the open and annexed spaces of the square;

- the other relating to the underground car park, which also integrates the access control system to the car park by means of automatic barriers and day tickets;

The system was designed by providing a single type of video cameras for outdoor use, facilitating future maintenance of the system. These cameras are connected via WiFi to a router that sends the images back to the control center at the Municipal Administration.

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