The winning projects for the Solar Park South international design competition in Calabria, Italy have recently been announced. The brief called for a 'Solar Highway' by re-using Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway sections between Scilla and Bagnara to be decommissioned by the Italian Highways Authority. The international jury selected three winning projects as well as ten Honorable Mentions.
First Prize: PR+OFF (France)
From the project description: "The bridges allow a limited impact on the landscape. The local culture of bergamotte demonstrates the region’s perfectly tempered weather (8°-30°C), and the volcanic area reveals a high energy potential.
The climate and the site inspire vertical villages for the european snowbirds (housing/medical equipment/entertainment/shops) that are connected by walkways to the sea and highways to the cities.
The system is autonomous regarding the main resources water and energy thanks to the rainwater and the geothermal power.
This contemporary archeology (the bridge over the bridge) results in a process where urban falls meet the climbing nature. The vertical privacy of the inhabited piles supports the horizontal sociability of the public equipped decks, while providing a unique view for each one, at every level. The combination between the infrastructure and the environment is efficient enough to establish a new responsible high quality way of living."
Second Prize: coffice (Italy)
From the project description: "The hybrid system proposed (combining solar and wind power) allows for a continuous production of Energy. The project is based on the idea of utilizing the space between the pillars of the existing viaducts to house a system of wind-powered turbines which will be integrated into the structure. This ensures contained land use and therefore a reduced impact on both landscape and environment in addition to re-designing the visual profile of the viaduct.
The solar park proposed in the competition will stretch the full length of the inner carriageway, with the outer carriageway remaining reserved for the transit of vehicles."
Third Prize: J-A (Colombia)
From the project description: "SEEDING GREEN EDUCATION is the attitude which best describes SOLAR PARK SOUTH, for that reason this intervention establishes three main goals to accomplish this purpose. First of all, to set up a connection between Scilla and Bagnara Calabra throughout a multi-mobility circuit that simultaneously will conform and protect what is established as natural reserve. Secondly to enhance progress in a very big extension of territory within simple overpowering approaches as civic education and the implementation of native vegetation reproduction as the main design strategy. Finally utilize this old highway as a detonator for the development of a larger extension of territory combining conflictive topics as renewable energy technologies, new mobility systems and economic development, all at once."
See some of the Honorable Mentions and other entries we found interesting in the image gallery below.
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