Client: Municipalityof Finale Ligure Chronology: Design: 1998 - Realization: 1999 - 2000 Architectural design: Mario Gallarati with Letizia Masciotta, Laura Roccatagliata |
Works manager: Mario Gallarati Contractor: Finalstrade s.r.l. |
The interventions concern the arrangement of the two “antinodal” squares of the walled town, made more valuable by the two outstanding monumental doors. In spite of their important role as “representation entrances” to the old centre, these two public spaces had degraded to a cross-road role, and were partly choked up by vehicles, disorderly fitted up and poorly paved and lighted.
The main element for the qualification of Porta Testa square has been the new arrangement as a whole of the spaces in front of the monumental door. In particular, by sacrificing a few spaces reserved to car-parking it has been possible to create a continuous green respect band along the town walls, inside which runs the new pedestrian connection ending in a large paved space by the door. The pavings have been realized in sandstone flags, for the large “campiture” and in Finale stone-flags, for the pedestrian axis.
Piazza Milite Ignoto is the second “antinodal” square in the old centre of Finalborgo, facing Porta Regia but on the opposite bank of the torrent Aquila, starting point for the extra-moenia village extension. In this case too we have tried to clearly separate the pedestrian areas from the parking sites, by creating a central space, in axis with the War Memorial and delimited by Finale stone benches; this space, regular in its geometry, just a bit heightened over its original level, has been paved with the same Finale stone-flags and connected with short flights of stairs to the pedestrian space below, paved in sandstone flags and characterized by the presence of a level bare fountain in the middle.