salerno precinct
city of pontecagnano. salerno. italy

the city of pontecagnano had been branded as the european city for emerging creativity to regenerate new urban activities in the previously industrial precinct of salerno. the project brief was to make use of a dilapidated cigar factory that spanned a multitudes of city block by injecting new cultural and commercial programme within its boundary.
rather than an internal renovation of the north and south buildings, the design proposed to remove the roof of the factory and inverting the built volume, resulting in a central urban piazza, within a field of columns and surrounded by an urban fabric of mixed programme.

stage: design proposal


woven taxonomy

the spatial prototype used to define the programmatic field begins with a single bi-directional variable. this bi-directionality supports the mixing of the program, the sharing of spaces, the crossing of circulatory routes and provides for the distribution of activities. These variations constitute an almost limitless spatial variability to define parking, offices, retail, recreation, ground conditions and piazza.


site plan


internal perspective


street elevation

the sample elevation along g.budetti demonstrates that different height spaces with varied proximity to the street can be achieved. the surrounding building moves through various level of transparency to filter views through the volume to the inner piazza.