Biblioteca degli Alberi

'the library of trees'

Milan

 

 

Linear intersectional design between places of residence, commerce and government. Pragmatic design with direct A to B routing. Five layer primary walk ways with other smaller intersections. A constructivist style design, reminiscent of Kandinsky's Circles in a circle.

 

The repeated circles of equal scale but with different line intersections, and materiality. Some are trees, paths, the play area. It is a very open park even after 10 years, and topographically flat. A park planted in four dimensional space for the future generations. I was struct buy the construction scale and the number of people involved. The play park looks like form over function as, it's a long way from the edges and there is limiting play equipment.

 

The description of such a large project is communicated effectively with a few sketches and technical plans and mood board. Less is more when pearling back for understanding.

 

I admire the  benches set into the fence, both practical and a way of softening a very high barrier.

I would be interested to see how this park feels on a human scale as from the plans and macro images it feels like a grand gesture. There is little of the intimacy that Jan Gehr describes as conducive for greater quality of human interaction. With few places to pause and observe others. I wonder if there has been in small parts a creation of Gordon Cullen's 'desert planning'(2).

 

https://www.insideoutside.nl/Biblioteca-degli-Alberi-Milan

2. Jan Gehr - Life between buildings p46