Urban regeneration to regenerate relationships

Through a process of listening and co-design, we investigated the collective memory of the Ex-Colombofili and how the area surrounding the building is perceived by the citizens, thus being able to best contextualize the development of a concept, together with Diverserighestudio, which took care of the architectural aspects, capable of making the change visible and guide the redevelopment of spaces.

Objectives:

• Explore, connect, and map the resources and needs of the territory and the actors involved.
• Identify desirable future scenarios based on past and present stories of the territory.
• Create a hybrid space model capable of activating the main local actors towards a common goal.
• Enhance the adjacent park to socially reactivate the area.

The concept for the regeneration of the Ex-Colombofili complex is the result of a careful process of listening to local stakeholders from different spheres of Modena’s public life. The work of collecting and reworking perceptions, needs, and visions of the area surrounding the building consisted of two main phases: a series of semi-structured qualitative interviews, which revealed the deep connection between the Ex-Colombofili and the Novi Sad park, and a co-design workshop.

From the interviews, it emerged that the Ex-Colombofili and the park are linked not only by their geographical proximity but also by a shared historical memory, to the point that the complex is considered a single, permeable ecosystem by everyone. Furthermore, the perception that the Ex-Colombofili and Novi Sad possess significant, yet unexpressed, potential for the entire city of Modena became apparent.

During the interviews, we asked participants what a “generative space” meant to them. Among the many responses, we identified a common denominator: the idea that such a space should promote and facilitate the development of intimate and meaningful relationships. Additionally, the majority of stakeholders define a “generative” space as one where vulnerabilities are supported through inclusion, capable of connecting the city’s past and present, a place of free aggregation, promoting change and actively participated from the bottom up.

The second phase of the listening process involved local stakeholders in a co-design workshop, through which it was possible to deeply investigate past events that shaped the criticalities as well as the opportunities related to the area. This collective reflection paved the way for the co-design activity of four future scenarios for the regeneration of the Ex-Colombofili, scenarios that constitute the core of the final concept.

The four scenarios that emerged at the end of the workshop depict possible alternative futures for the Ex-Colombofili and the surrounding area, conceived as a single dynamic and generative ecosystem.

Scenario 1. A bridge as a park
The first scenario revolves around the concept of ‘park as a bridge and bridge as a park’, which looks at the Ex-Colombofili – Novi Sad complex as a new square capable of changing the geography of the historic centre. Openness, flexibility, and adaptability guide the dialogue between the building and the park, also thanks to the demolition of the wall that currently separates the two spaces.

Scenario 2. Community stage
Focusing on the values of change and diversity, in the second scenario we envisioned the entire area as a large multilingual stage capable of enhancing and providing space for the communities that inhabit it.

Scenario 3. Sports, community, and Open School
The third scenario aims to transform the Novi Sad and Ex-Colombofili area into an aggregative hub for younger generations, in continuity with the identity of the area, thanks to its strong educational and sports vocation.

Scenario 4. Levante
In the fourth scenario, the Ex-Colombofili and Novi Sad are transformed into a laboratory for exchanging knowledge and creativity, a point of reference for university students, artists, and passersby, where they can cultivate meaningful relationships with the local community.

Building on these four scenarios, we developed a concept related to the functions of the new space, focusing on relationships. The concept integrates the main features of each scenario, allowing the architects of Diverserighestudio to design the physical spaces.

The idea of creating a permeable and non-predetermined space, which can be co-constructed over time by local communities, requires the activation of an open process: events, situations, and rituals that allow the involvement of different communities in the area, facilitating dialogue and the hybridization of practices and languages.

Thanks to the mix of audiences, functions, and services, the new area that will house the Ex-Colombofili building and the Novi Sad park is conceived as a stronghold capable of involving local realities, communities, and organisations. The concept also promotes a strong and activating narrative of the entire area and takes into account some recurring features in the four scenarios, common denominators such as diversity, permeability, interdependence, the concept of openness, and the architectural elements that symbolize it (bridges, squares and arenas), once again emphasizing the implicit need to promote processes of regeneration not only of physical places but also of human and social relationships.