The city within the city - Urban redevelopment project of the former Officine Casaralta area in Bologna

The main focus was to redevelop a disused area that seeks its own recognizable form within the urban fabric, through the relationship that is established between residences and public spaces. Through the study of the fundamental architectural characters of the city of Bologna, such as the portico and the towers, the project seeks to define a new urban centrality for the Bolognina district, in which citizens can recognize their link with the historic city, but without losing their identity; in short, as if it was a real ''city within the city''.

The project proposal intends to consider the area of the former Officine Casaralta and the underlying area of the former Sani military barracks as a unit within the urban fabric, to define a new centrality. To do this, the project started from the study of other projects that had as their main theme the one of defining a public space whose form is developed starting from the idea of the forum. The first step taken was to identify the two generating axes, suggested by the pre-existing buildings and, at the intersection of which, this public space is established. Subsequently, the project developed through the relationship between the solidity of the buildings and the emptiness of the green and public spaces, which represent an important element of conjunction between the two areas. The latter, in fact, are conceived as a design theme, as they are to be considered as open spaces measured by the architecture of the buildings, which, in turn, give quality to these spaces. The public spaces of cities, in fact, are based on the relationship between monuments and buildings, which is why the latter must not lose their quality of living. Therefore, the project tries to reinterpret the spaces of the city, both those for more public use, such as the square and parks, and those more ''private'' but still for collective use, such as the courtyards. This dimensional difference finds its relationship through the definition of some paths, whose amplitude is based on the space to which they must respond. From a functional point of view, the project presents itself as a new settlement district, trying to offer a concrete answer to today's problem of a ''home for all''.