The project was born from the study we carried out on the territory of L’Aquila: a place in the sun for MAP.The idea is developed around the area of the recently build multi-purpose hall, with the aim of bringing outdoor recreational and leisure activities. The strategy is to define and characterize the space through a “tape” that incorporates the various functions of the playground and becomes the protagonist itself.
The project idea starts from the division of the intervention lot into diversified thematic areas regarding CREATIVITY, SPORT, TRADITIONAL GAMES and EQUIPPED GREEN, which are connected through the tape. The ribbon folds and shapes to identify the spaces of the project: it is the entrance portal to the playground, it goes down to be a bench, it twists and becomes a fence.
The challenge is to transform the void in front of the houses into a place defined by its own identity and recognizability. This because the request and the needs of the MAP ‘s inhabitants were not only of a simple playground for children, but also a space of aggregation, which is the fundamental feature of a settlement and a real human community.
Recycling
Even during the project phase, we thought about reusing the discard of city’s reconstruction as material for our “Parcobaleno”. The district of L’Aquila provided scaffolding pipes piled up in their warehouse. With these, we would realize the main structure of the tape. As far as the wood of the covering is concerned, the solution would have been the recycling of the numerous pallets baked by the so many opened construction sites on the territory.
Prototype
Since we had never worked with scaffolding pipes and joints, we experimented with technology by producing a 1:1 scale prototype. There were critical points to solve and we had many alternative solutions. The prototype gave us the opportunity to compare them and choose the best ones.
Wood
For more than one month we have done nothing but collect pallets. After being disassembled, we could obtain a maximum of 3-4 usable slats. They were then sanded in order to be cleaned and to remove all the sharp edges. They would have been used indeed, to make the seating plan. At the end of these processes we have obtained about 1200 slats from about 450 pallets collected from construction sites.
In S. Rufina the tape would be subjected to significant temperature changes, with very low temperature in winter accompanied by often snowy precipitations. In this regard, it was decided to treat the wood with the liquid glass which penetrates the wood and crystallizes. This should have improved the waterproofing of the strips and extended their life. In the end, they were colored with the collaboration of the children from “Il Cireneo Foundation” for autism. We like to think of how such sensitive children have given color to Parcobaleno.
Games
There is no playground that does not include games. These are the first things we installed, we were finally able to do the first material intervention on the spot. A great help came from the inhabitants of the MAP.Until then we had been accompanied by the fear of a wrong type of intervention. Despite the interviews, despite having sought dialogue. Seeing all those curious kids waiting to jump on the games has released a sense of lightness. The participatory approach had paid off with good results.
Tape
Seeing the children who frequented the park gave us new energy. At this point we just had to move on. The realization of the tape was divided into two steps, as the number of tapes that would be made. The tape “A” serves to close Parcobaleno from the parking area, it also encloses the entrance lane to the multi-purpose hall of the MAP. The tape “B” opens instead towards the side of the building. It would be one of the Parcobaleno’s entrances.
An excavation allowed to bury part of the structure under 40 cm of earth. Meanwhile, a team worked on the elements of the lining. The previously treated and colored strips were assembled in 1mx1m modules. These would then be attached to the structure using self-drilling screws. And so, as we broke drill bits in industrial quantities, the tape quickly acquired consistency and Parcobaleno started coloring. Despite the hardships created for our “intrusion”, the inhabitants of S. Rufina have supported us. From coffee to hot chocolate and good wine, they were able to show their approval.
Time has been kind to us, someone has interpreted it as a good omen. Despite the difficulties and initial fears, we soon found ourselves in a state of advanced work. What was a simple two-dimensional drawing had slowly come out of the sheet, acquiring the third dimension. But the most important thing is the social experience the design had stimulated. The boys greeted us and called us by name. People opened up prospects for new interventions and proposed their maintenance support. To conclude, we show you a video that condenses all the phases of Parcobaleno’s realization in just 4 minutes.
Good vision.