Segrate Open City

"...e che el capo rocca sia, le braccia le sue aggiunte e ricinte mura, le quali circulando partitamente leghi el resto di tutto el corpo, amplissima città." Francesco di Giorgio treatise from the Turin codex Saluzziano. In his treatise on architecture engineering and military art, Francesco Giorgio Martini, one of the greatest artists of the 15th century in Italy and an exponent of a culture in which technological and artistic interests constantly intertwine, in the first draft of his treatise conceives of the fortress as the hub and brain of the city. This analogy between the city and the human body relates the head i.e. the humanistic dream, to the fortress placed in defense of a republic city of letters and the arts. For Francesco di Giorgio a city without a fortress is thus equivalent to the lack of a fundamental tool for renewed civic living. The question of form is of great importance. Before Francesco di Giorgio, tradition and practical reasons had until then almost constantly imposed polygonal forms on the perimeters of fortresses. Francis, on the other hand, vague curvilinear forms perhaps because of his approximation to the abstract perfection of the circle theorized in his treatise. The convex shape of the walls had to appear at once as an important factor of strength in analogy to the arch's capacity for resistance. Experience, however, led to different articulations of the form, gradually leading to the goal of the spear-point bastion front, a mixture of rectilinear and curvilinear forms. The analogy with the ideas of Francesco di Giorgio inspired the investigation of architecture to be proposed those areas just beyond the historic center that even without hidden masterpieces has the characteristic expressive mode of small Lombard communities in terms of local traditions linked to a past that seems very close. For this reason, the austere style of the “fortress” may be a symptomatic case of an urban solution that gives a “head” to the urban fabric by bringing to fruition the foundations of the historic center. Certainly not a fortress in the ancient sense of the term of physical defense of the city from the weapons of enemies, but an “open fortress” in defense of certain values of architecture that seem to have been lost in the development of this part city. Against such a cultural background, the project makes its appearance without monumental buildings that find their foundation in false reminders of the past but with the vo- otter to compete in richness with the medieval city to which it stands alongside. And it is easy to understand that the proportions of streets and squares, that is, of public spaces, are key to the urban expression of the historic centers of Italian cities. These reflections are the beginning of the project, which is a richly imaginative and at the same time pragmatic development for a sustainable 21st century garden city that transforms the context into public squares and parks. Open city is not just another intervention that increasingly divides the city center from its outskirts; it is a project to create a new city center, a new entrance to the city of Segrate, with buildings that can become more humane, more individual, establish a stronger connection with their environment, and become more integrated into a community. Some keywords encapsulate a new yet ancient idea of urban development: history, sustainability, permeability. The historic center, with the success of its density, the vibrancy of its functional mix, and the architectural quality of its monuments, is reflected in the masterplan for Segrate, designed with meaningful analogies and comparisons. The agora, the functional mix, high density, sustainability, and flexibility establish a relationship with the history and future of Segrate. They make this project not just an extension of the city but a cluster of public, residential, and commercial buildings that create a new city center, announced by the tower building located at the corner of the site. The design of the masterplan features a perimeter wall enclosing galleries positioned at +150 elevation compared to the street levels. This "fortress-like" perimeter wall includes pedestrian connections to the historic center, some already existing, as well as staircases leading to other sides of the development. Within these areas, the buildings have loggias on their façades to animate a rich city life of culture and commerce, while the upper floors rise in height, starting from the dimensions of the buildings in the historic center to the scale of the residential buildings on the opposite side. By applying these urban principles, flexible housing units have been created that are at the same time diverse and unique for each area of intervention. In the effort to create urban and social variety, public and cultural buildings have been included along with the residences: a significant commercial area and services of general interest, including public offices and restaurants. The tower building, the tallest in the development, unique in shape and significance, has a stone portion that aligns with the height of the bell tower of the Church of Santo Stefano, and a luminous upper section—a lantern visible both day and night. It serves as a transparent beacon to identify the area and guide orientation upward, resembling ancient lacework. The design of the tower goes beyond merely treating the façades; it envisions a new spatial arrangement for Segrate. The proposed urban scheme provides opportunities for leisure, well-being, and identity that align with the city's new lifestyles. The concept of walls that "float" in a green area, hosting cultural and commercial spaces for those who will use these future public spaces, delivers an optimal result—offering the entire community exciting and unexpected experiences. This project is a strong asset for a city increasingly positioned in an international and competitive landscape.