CasaNova masterplan

    location: CasaNova district /Bivio Kaiserau - Bolzano, Italy

    program: detailed masterplan for the extension of the city on an area of 107.322m2 with 1.000 new homes and 20.000m2 of services (commercial, sport, crèche, school, lightrail station) and detailed  neighbourhood park design on a surface of 44.623m2, typological prototype study.

    dates: competition (1st prize) 2002, project 2003-04, realization 2007-11

    data: total built area 350.000 m3

    masterplan architect: waltritsch a+u, Arch. Dimitri Waltritsch Trieste, Italy
    in partnership with Frits van Dongen / de Architecten Cie., Michael van Gessel, Ton Schaap, Pietro Celli, Helene Hoelzel, Christoper McCarthy, Michele Carlini, Erwin Mumelter

    team: Dimitri Waltritsch with Ileana Toscano, Achille Corradin

    Model photography: Allard van der Hoek
    Block EA7 architecture and photography: Christoph Mayr Fingerle
    Other site photography: Dimitri Waltritsch

    CasaNova is the last major urban expansion of the alpine city of Bolzano, and is taking place on its south edge, where the compact built city is facing the agricultural fields. This dual condition has lead the design of the plan, taking into account the building tradition of the city, consisting of dense housing blocks, as well as the privileged relationship with the nature, consisting of the wine yards and orchards and of the skyline of the mountains. Nine blocks are reinterpreting the traditional typology of the local castle, composed by three or four separated buildings gathered around a communal, central outdoor space. The nine “castles” of CasaNova are placed accordingly to the previous agricultural subdivision, and served by one circular distribution street. Each of them has its unique footprint and shape, introducing limitless typological variations and a higher level of privacy with the neighbouring buildings, because of its non parallel relationship and different height with the opposite facing building. The space outside the perimeter of each the castle, the ‘in-between’, gives shape to a sort of  “green rooms” or small public parks, characterised by plantation of different fruit trees. Every castle is built up some very simple rules: the four residential buildings are growing on top of a semi-underground parking, which takes natural light and ventilation from a central patio. Each block, counting approximately 120 units, is therefore placed on top of a podium, defined on its above surface by private gardens related to ground floor apartments. The skyline of each block is then dramatically inclined towards the south (from seven to three floors), to gain better sunlight in the winter, and summer breeze in the hot summer months. The inclination of the roofs, besides introducing typological possibilities and green roof facilities, plays with the mountain skyline as well, allowing a better insertion of the new buildings in the peculiar local context


    Images and text © D. Waltritsch. Use only by permission.