Which are the criteria for the regeneration of a former industrial site? Restore to Impact, the international Call for Ideas powered by the Chiesi biopharmaceutical Group, aims to identify innovative, evolutionary and transversal concepts as guidelines for the future regeneration project of its historic industrial site in via Palermo in Parma. In this context, it has defined its guiding principles to evaluate the concepts submitted by April 30th.
Flexibility, adaptability over time, and porosity are understood as the ability to dialogue with the physical and social context. In addition, the quality of the landscape and public spaces are also related to connectivity and sustainability in technological, environmental, economic, business and innovative terms.
These were the main criteria —inspired by the pillars of the Call: the "5 Regenerative Actions as a Force for Good”— adopted by the Selection Committee to evaluate the 31 concept finalists (26 for the Professional Category and 5 for the Under 30 Category) and define the motivations. The Jury was composed of Andrea Chiesi, Giulia Baccarin, Emilio Faroldi, Didier Fiúza Faustino, Paola Liani, Aura Luz Melis, Ingrid Paoletti and Matteo Vegetti.
From the 31 concept finalists, three Prizes were identified for each Category (Professional and Under 30) and an Honorable Mention for the Professional Category. See the selection below.
Professional Category (€12,000 each)
Restore to Impact by Studio 63 (Florence, Italy) + Edoardo Cesaro (Camerota, SA, Italy)
Rethinking the layout of the Site as a Continuous and Fluid Urban Park, on which the Centre for Open Innovation & Competence and the offices of the Chiesi Italia "float". The vision is that of an aerial building in a dynamic relationship with the ground and the external environment through the use of mediation spaces, tunnels, filters and semi-covered places to be made predominantly of natural materials.
Urban Scale Laboratory, by the architect duo Pietro Bodria and Antonio Sportillo (Italy)
They imagined an incubator of ideas open to visitors and citizens, guaranteeing the highest standards for employees.
Chiesi FARM (Forest Academy Research Museum) (Italy)
Presented by a team consisting of Chiara Cocconcelli, Luca Bocedi, Francesca Giannini Architect, Giulia Ghidini, Domenica Fiorini, Veronica Pinetti, Simone Spotti, Ximena Malaga Palacio. The project envisions an innovative and open space to cultivate talents and ideas, opening up to education with the Museum of Pharmacy and Chemistry offering visitors opportunities for research and discovery; a gentle regeneration concept.
Honorable Mention for the Professional Category (€ 2,000)
Chiiiesi by CMJC, Mantua (Italy)
The Chiiiesi concept by a project team composed of Martina Baratta, Cristina Roiz de la Parra Solano, Camilla Federici, Julian Raffetseder and Giorgio Notari (Italy). The three 'i's in the project title indicate identity, inclusion and innovation as the three pillars that carry the company's legacy into a new era through a gesture, an L-shaped building that frames the garden and curves inwards as an act of welcome and inclusion.
Under 30 Category (€ 5,000 each)
On the Screen, by Paola Mauti (Italy)
Imagining a landmark open 24/7: during the day it is the workspace for Chiesi Group employees with public facilities and a natural park open to all; at night it becomes a large stage where the company's activities can be promoted or events organized.
The Portico of Innovation, by Dong Yifan and Jingwen Gan (The Netherlands)
Proposing a concept related to urban relationships that can be stitched together through architectural language in order to re-establish a balance between the privacy needs of users and the spatial value of the urban community.
The Civic Campus, by Robert Snelling (Australia)
Envisions the Campus fitting into the existing neighborhood by stimulating an evolution over time, not through radical transformations but through small gestures.
The winners will be involved in the elaboration and development phases of the guidelines of the future regeneration project for the via Palermo industrial site, and their names will remain in the concept development team as promoters of the design guidelines.
As a follow-up to the Call for Ideas, a series of panels open to the public will provide continuity to the themes introduced with the 5 Regenerative Actions as a Force for Good. The first panel will be the venue for the Award Ceremony.
For more information, view the Restore to Impact Report.