The site is located on the eastern outskirts of the city of Pisa. The driving elements of the project are the presences and the absences: the presence of the Arno river, its river park and reminders of the agricultural past suggest the idea of an urban park, while the absence of urban ‘substance’ and the fragmentation of the current structures encourage the finding of elements of connection and harmonisation. The idea is to characterise the park area with thematic strips of land, which would be distinguished by their varied types of plantings and infrastructure systems.
The proposed buildings will not interfere with the continuity of the park; in particular, those intended to host the courthouse and the municipal offices will ‘disappear’ underground. Their design is dictated by the layout of the ‘green’ strips, which become the principle point of reference for the planning of all buildings.