The Transformation of the Great Decommissioned Farini Railroad …
195
The presence of such facilities introduces a principle of variation that makes the
different places recognizable and the courtyards themselves busy and full of life, each
with its own characters. Their openness means that the green spaces can be crossed
and perceived as even more extended than they are, as well as well connected to the
spaces at the centre of the district.
The hierarchical structure of the settlement defines the character of the courtyards based on their specific location—close to the Rambla, or to the roads that run
alongside the area and the small squares that accommodate the neighbouring roads,
occupied by the pond, fronting the garden, etc.
This settlement principle is reflected in the structure of the housing, the main
quality of which is the diversity of frontages. The frontages may have either a full
brick enclosure, corresponding to the sleeping areas that look out onto the inner
tree-lined roads or a mixed glazed enclosure for the living areas, large light-filled
verandas that look out onto the lawn of the courtyards. The 12-storey houses are
perpendicular to the district’s roads and laid out alternately so as to define basic units
built on the system of small and large courtyards.
Special housing units such as the residences for students and senior citizens have
a different character due to their particular location, with a double volume and double
frontage in correspondence with the lawns and glazed living rooms on both sides.
The buildings that accommodate working activities, such as professional studios
and workshops, also introduce variations in terms of location and type, as they are
slightly taller and built as bridges straddling the two main roads that define the system.
They are organized as large lofts that can be combined for specific requirements and
become secondary reference points that measure the distances within the district’s
regular grid.
Facilities and collective buildings are distributed within the courtyards, along
the two main roads. The facilities include mainly commercial activities that can be
located below the ground level, or cinemas, theatres, and auditoriums that require
no direct lighting and are perceived as large glazed atria on the lawn, large skylights
that direct the light, and people in the underground spaces so that the surface can be
occupied as much as possible by green spaces.
The distribution of activities in the area is based on the criteria of importance and
easy accessibility—the urban museum and auditoriums are in the main square, commercial and catering activities are along the Rambla and the parallel road, recreational
activities are close to the pond, kindergartens and primary schools are in more protected courtyards, administrative and health-care facilities define the smaller squares
on the area’s perimeter, close to the outer districts, cinemas and cultural activities
are close to the urban railway stop, the library is in a quiet green area, etc.
195
The presence of such facilities introduces a principle of variation that makes the
different places recognizable and the courtyards themselves busy and full of life, each
with its own characters. Their openness means that the green spaces can be crossed
and perceived as even more extended than they are, as well as well connected to the
spaces at the centre of the district.
The hierarchical structure of the settlement defines the character of the courtyards based on their specific location—close to the Rambla, or to the roads that run
alongside the area and the small squares that accommodate the neighbouring roads,
occupied by the pond, fronting the garden, etc.
This settlement principle is reflected in the structure of the housing, the main
quality of which is the diversity of frontages. The frontages may have either a full
brick enclosure, corresponding to the sleeping areas that look out onto the inner
tree-lined roads or a mixed glazed enclosure for the living areas, large light-filled
verandas that look out onto the lawn of the courtyards. The 12-storey houses are
perpendicular to the district’s roads and laid out alternately so as to define basic units
built on the system of small and large courtyards.
Special housing units such as the residences for students and senior citizens have
a different character due to their particular location, with a double volume and double
frontage in correspondence with the lawns and glazed living rooms on both sides.
The buildings that accommodate working activities, such as professional studios
and workshops, also introduce variations in terms of location and type, as they are
slightly taller and built as bridges straddling the two main roads that define the system.
They are organized as large lofts that can be combined for specific requirements and
become secondary reference points that measure the distances within the district’s
regular grid.
Facilities and collective buildings are distributed within the courtyards, along
the two main roads. The facilities include mainly commercial activities that can be
located below the ground level, or cinemas, theatres, and auditoriums that require
no direct lighting and are perceived as large glazed atria on the lawn, large skylights
that direct the light, and people in the underground spaces so that the surface can be
occupied as much as possible by green spaces.
The distribution of activities in the area is based on the criteria of importance and
easy accessibility—the urban museum and auditoriums are in the main square, commercial and catering activities are along the Rambla and the parallel road, recreational
activities are close to the pond, kindergartens and primary schools are in more protected courtyards, administrative and health-care facilities define the smaller squares
on the area’s perimeter, close to the outer districts, cinemas and cultural activities
are close to the urban railway stop, the library is in a quiet green area, etc.