SHORTLISTED

ENSEMBLE CITY

Team Description: In Ensemble City, programmatic and spatial diversity is achieved assembling different elements of the city (domestic space, offices, retail, gardens, streets, railway lines, etc.) in a stratified grid that can grow. The city, thus, is closely linked to its reproductive conditions.
Greenery at different levels, an urban system sensitive to cycles of time, or energy production technologies, try to consider synergies between ecosystems, biotypes, artefacts, or citizens. The production of nature within the city contributes to a responsible ecological transition.
Housing is characterized by a continuous outdoor-space that achieves a distinction between the public appearance of buildings (abstract and austere), and a customizable interior. In Loosian terms, between ‘culture’ and ‘civilization’.

Jury Statement: “The project is appreciated by the jury because of its porosity and its flexibility on the ground floor level. The overall sense of scale is more defined and deemed reasonable.”

Team Statement:

What you like most of your project?
"In Ensemble City, programmatic and spatial diversity is achieved assembling different elements of the city (domestic space, offices, retail, gardens, streets, railway lines, etc.) in a stratified grid that can grow freely. The city is therefore closely linked to its reproductive conditions.
Greenery at different levels, an urban system sensitive to cycles of time, energy production technologies… all these features try to consider synergies between ecosystems, biotypes, artefacts and citizens. The production of nature within the city contributes to a responsible ecological transition.
Housing is characterized by a continuous outdoor-space that achieves a distinction between the public appearance of buildings (abstract and austere), and a customizable interior; in Loosian terms, between ‘culture’ and ‘civilization’."

Why you have chosen this site?
"First of all, the site allowed us to work in one of the most interesting European cities in historical an urban terms. Moreover, thanks to its strategic location –at some point between the center and the suburbs– it had a great potential of transformation at city level, further encouraged by the radical mixed program proposed by the brief (residential, productive, public functions, etc.). Finally, the scale was perfect to give a serious thought to the idea of ‘urban project’, which deepens into the relationship between architecture and city.“