Georgian architects' project for restoring 20th century Italian modernist venue awarded TerraViva Competitions honourable mention
The Georgian members of the architect team awarded the honourable mention in the contest. Photo: Davit Tchalidze.
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An international group of architects involving Georgian professionals has been awarded the honourable mention of the TerraViva Competitions, a Milan-based creative hub, for their project for regenerating a 20th century Italian modernist venue.
On Thursday, organisers of the contest announced the winning submissions for Hangar Ticinum, the competition for ideas on reviving a hydroplane hangar of Idroscalo di Pavia, a notable historical site on River Ticino near the city of Pavia in Italy's north.
Aiming to source projects to fulfil the "ambition of restoring the importance and centrality" of the building for the city, the organisers looked to identify the most notable submissions for bringing the site out of its "worrying state of decay".
Designed by Giuseppe Pagano in the 1920s, the seaplane hangar allowed for the docking of aircraft for what became Italy's first civil aviation line, and enabled refuelling and sorting of goods and mail for the nearby Milan area. However, its infrastructure decayed over the past several decades due to neglect, before a local landscape commission gave a green light to its redevelopment in late 2017.
???? WINNERS ANNOUNCEMENT ????
— TerraViva Competitions (@TerravivaC) January 20, 2022
“Hangar Ticinum” Competition
???? Visit our website to see in detail all the Awarded Projects and to know more about the final results https://t.co/4ltIyQAvFp#Architecture #Competition @TerravivaC
Submissions to the Hangar Ticinum competition were received by organisers between September 10-December 10, with a jury panel involving industry professionals German Fuenmayor, Anastasia Kucherova, Lorenzo Degli Esposti, Mariangela Singali Calisti, Filippo Imberti, Lucia Paci, Bogdan Peric and Toufic Rifai assessing the projects.
The reveal of the list of the most notable TerraViva contest projects is the latest development around the site, and includes the submission by the team involving Georgian architects, 3D artists and urbanists Elene Machaidze, Giorgi Maisuradze, Mariam Shaishmelashvili, Salome Gugunava, Nodar Kvanchiani, Irina Maskhulia and Irakli Shubashikeli, along with their Macedonian and Turkish counterparts Doruntina Zendeli and Aysel Kapsız.
The participants of the design team, coming together from the Georgian multidisciplinary studios Address and Altertopos, aimed to respond to the challenge of drawing up plans for the site that would transform it into a public centre and contribute to a renewal of the river bank and adjacent urban texture.
Renderings for the project involving the Georgian architects and awarded an honourable mention of the competition. Images via architect team.
Elements of the project for restoring the hangar involved revitalising its infrastructural and social effects on the river bank. Image via architect team.
How would it be possible to transform the hangar into a community hub lived 7 days a week? What kind of uses could be successful in obtaining the long-awaited rebirth?
Participants are thus invited to experiment openly without any fear of the existing building, testing an infinite number of possible innovative design solutions
- Hangar Ticinum competition organisers
The team of designers, urbanists and architects involved in the submission said their work had aimed to transform the site while respecting the original creator's "visions about rationalist rhythm, harmonic proportions, delicate use of light, sensitive selection of materials and special views to the different parts of the city".
Their summary for the design also said the vision involved consideration for the skyline of Pavia, as well as other landmarks of the city located on the river, while also reinforcing the hangar building itself through the addition of an amphitheatre and its balcony.
Through these and other additions the site saw an activation of a three-fold urban aspect of the location - a corner piazza, indoor theatrical patio and the outdoor amphitheatre, the authors added.
Focusing on use for visitors with differing abilities, the submission attempted to both maintain the existing values of the historical modernist building, while also aiming to create a spark for regenerating the site for new and reinvigorated use, the team also said.