Milan By night
an urban lighting scenario along the Naviglio Grande
an urban lighting scenario along the Naviglio Grande
The study of the nocturnal urban landscape is evolving very fast nowadays.
Cities at night reveals their potential of attraction, but also highlights the differences between their spaces.
Being aware of the existence of a social and collective nocturnal dimension, I explored the practice of designing the city landscape after dusk.The artificial light defines the spaces of the city at night with its distribution, diffusion and color schemes, emphasizing the space distinctive characteristics and becoming a material that interacts with the metropolitan structure. Many European cities in recent years edited their Light Plan, combining light design and urban planning and creative process.
Milan is currently living a great transformation , affecting the ancient equilibrium of the compact city and the precariousness of the peripheral areas. I decided to show up the great power of transformation that artificial light has, and to apply it to the big urban voids that identifies the complex and fragile structure of Milan. This is not only a project of light planning, but also a representation of new scenarios. The challenge of this suspended city’s daydream, was to rediscover the value of the void through a colorful, shining and dreamy point of view.
Cities at night reveals their potential of attraction, but also highlights the differences between their spaces.
Being aware of the existence of a social and collective nocturnal dimension, I explored the practice of designing the city landscape after dusk.The artificial light defines the spaces of the city at night with its distribution, diffusion and color schemes, emphasizing the space distinctive characteristics and becoming a material that interacts with the metropolitan structure. Many European cities in recent years edited their Light Plan, combining light design and urban planning and creative process.
Milan is currently living a great transformation , affecting the ancient equilibrium of the compact city and the precariousness of the peripheral areas. I decided to show up the great power of transformation that artificial light has, and to apply it to the big urban voids that identifies the complex and fragile structure of Milan. This is not only a project of light planning, but also a representation of new scenarios. The challenge of this suspended city’s daydream, was to rediscover the value of the void through a colorful, shining and dreamy point of view.
First part of this work is about an accurate study
of the new Milano city planning.
I analyzed and resumed the city plans from 2010 till 2030, interlacing them on a city map. Then, I collected all the urban analysis in a handmade easy-to-browse dispencer.
By printing all the maps on a semi-trasparent paper, it is possible to overlap one another, in order to compare the interventions and to understand the complexity of the future urban structure.
Analyzing the city planning I realized that the amount of large urban voids was unbelievable.
The lack of relationship between the consolidated city structure and the big urban voids was emphatized producing matherical supports where each scenario was analyzed according to its urban value.
The urban voids were grouped and identyfied according to their geographical location.
I analyzed their spatial characteristics and collected information about their history.
The matherical support was made of 9 low maquettes made of cardboard, metal grid and recycled paper from magazines.Each maquette were related with a dossier that contained information and diagrams about the area. At this point I was able to choose a specific area according to its spatial characteristic and peculiar history.
The Naviglio Grande
The area represents anan emblematic part of the city due to future transformations welcoming the Universal Exhibition in 2015. The Naviglio Grande should have been affected by the project “Vie d’Acqua”, a project of recovery which was supposed to remain a legacy to the city. The idea was to connect Expo 2015 site with a new waterway navigable river. The goal has never been accomplished, nevertheless the Darsena and part of Navigli have been reclaimed.
Along the canal, two large urban voids were identified: former railway yards of Porta Genova and San Cristoforo. Another smaller urban void was taken into consideration in order to create a visual connection between them.
Artificial light is an element capable to redefine a landscape, generating an identifiable scenario of continuity in a discontinuous space. The Naviglio Grande, becomes a light pole on which the future city reflects abd the urban voids are redefined through volumes of immaterial light.
Porta Genova ex railway yards
Disused fountains in Pisotti area
San Cristoforo ex railway yards
I found out a perfect support to highlight the brightness from my project drawings. The drawings were printed on a semitransparent paper and then positioned on a mirrored paper. The drawings on the semitransparent paper were reflected by the mirror surface positioned behind.
Seen through the mirrored paper the image of the night landscape shone vividly. Plans, elevations and views have been represented using this technique.
Thank you!
