Viale Tricesimo is the commercial axis that stretches 17 km northwards from the city centre, which in the last 20 years has transformed the development situation of Udine and its neighbouring municipalities, concentrating in the zone the most extensive commercial presence of the district.
The areas of the former Bertoli steelworks are located along this axis. Their transformation therefore offers a precious opportunity for a project of urban addition. Due to the characteristics of the programme, due to the quantities and morphological cohesiveness of the new settlement, the project for the functional transformation of the area from being industrial to business-residential operates with the intention of knitting together the development contexts of the urban fabric. The general horizontal configuration has a simple design, organized into distinct and recognizable functional parts, characterised by a sequence of interconnected public spaces, their rhythm marked by regular architectural references, in sequence along the system of pedestrian walkways that guarantee the permeability of the internal areas. In the relationship with the surrounding area, mainly due to the heavily used road traffic system, the morphological and volumetric articulation is reinforced at the edges in the manner of a distinct screen, while the large-scale architectural image is underlined by the curvilinear element that organizes the activities of the business park.
The regeneration plan has been composed of elements capable of strongly characterising the future development of the entire area adjacent to the scheme. This series of elements, organized according to an east-west linear principle, envisages the construction of a circular restaurant building at the intersection with Viale Tricesimo, with the metal structure of the illuminated signs above, the commercial link building with long 400 metres exedra delimiting the parking areas, the circular central plaza, the park and green pedestrian crossing axis punctuated by four 15-storey towers, the residential blocks delimiting the park, the line of buildings for offices and services along the north side of the new road established by the plan, the walkways and green axes to connect to the areas for services in the former Battiferro premises and to the craft activities adjacent to the canal on the eastern side.
The “Terminal Nord” business park, which is the first implementation of the general plan of action in the area, constructs the whole northwest frontage and determines the dominant architectural image, due to its greater visibility with respect to the main access roads. With a 400 metres long arc of circle and its particular façade section, the cantilever roof opens up the geographical perception of a visual field that extends from the buildings towards the background of the mountain chains. In the urban context of Udine, this curvilinear morphological device identifies a new figure, a topographically significant location on the intersection between the two main axes of vehicle mobility. A single articulated section 8 metres deep over the whole semicircular development cuts the link volume for 33,000 m2 of commercial activities.
This is crossed at a single point to give access to the 40m diameter circular plaza, covered by a conical structure, like a funnel, glass covered and without central supports, as though suspended over a pool of water. The covered plaza is an explicit evocation of the market loggias that we find in many of our historical cities.
From the exedra cantilever roof to the covered plaza, from the shopping arcade to the green plaza from which the tree-lined axis of the central park extends, these various places with strong urban features thus avoid falling into the architectural indifference that is recurrent in many commercial types.
Cristina Calligaris