..News ..Portfolio ..Exhibitions ..Publications ..Firm ..Contact	Ponte Parodi and the City of Genoa Cultural and Leisure Facilities at the Old Port The Architectural Concept The Ponte Parodi is located in the very heart of the old port of Genoa. The shape is following the requirements of a landing bridge for grain cargo. Purged from its structures and functions, the remaining pure rectangle of the Ponte needs to be newly implemented in the Geography of the town. Links are defined - connections established view-lines - access-lines lines of thought - lines of memory lines of visions A slight alteration in the flat surface of the bridge reflects its new destination! Like an imprint of a vision, an area is carved out. Sloping gently towards the surface of the sea, nearly touching it, a new relation to the water is achieved. From the centre to the south a slope raises up to a terrace, to free the view on the open see - the Horizon. The memory of the silos with its history of trade and labour remains as an imprint in the space. The public spaces are in the centre of the project. With sharp cuts a void is shaped, following and defining the Geography of the site. The view-lines to the old city gates define the angles of the space. The ‘piazza sul mare’ is orientated to the historic city . The city is the waterfront of Genoa. Narrow spaces connect to the north, weaving the new area into the dense structure of the town. The expanding shape of the Piazza catches the panorama of the old town from the Porta dei Vacca to the Porta del Molo. Following the path from north to south, the dense urban space is continuously opening. The void is getting flatter and wider towards the Horizon.. The volumes of the buildings are defined by the void. The outer confines follow the limits of the old bridge. Each volume is related both to the void and to the confines. The Ponte shall be an integrated part in the body of the town, bringing the town and its people to the sea. Becoming a part of the city, the Ponte Parodi shall be a new focus in the public life of Genoa. Back to Portfolio