Interview to Tilman Latz, Latz+Partner Landshaftsarchitekten

For my degree's thesis in Architecture, titled " A new park for Turin: the Latz+Partner's project for Spina 3", I had an interview with the project leader Tilman Latz.

F.C. 1.Do you know Torino? What do you think about it?

  

T.L. Studying the city itself and its structure was important for the Parco Dora project. Understanding the site´s history was only possible with understanding Turin´s past, strongly connected with industry. It is important to see that Parco Dora is a very representative project for Turin but it is also part of an ambitious list of other projects dealing with the requalification/conversion of industrial sites within the city. In our opinion Turin is already a liveable city making big steps in using possibilities and chances that disposal of industrial areas in the city centers does create.

 

F.C. 2.Your project has given a new shape to the industrial heart of the city.Which project lines have you considered as inspiration?
T.L. Our intention for the project was to find, accentuate and to strengthen the particularities and characteristics of the site and to integrate these in a superordinating structure. The visitor should experience/ enjoy the park as a whole. Essential is a discussion about the site´s history and therfore the metamorphosis of the industrial function of the site into a
unique “leisuretime site” that gets its design out of the history as well as the change of modern society.
Our methodology for Parco Dora is based on 4 elementary themes:
a) Analysis and interpretation of the existing structures.
b) Transformation and reuse/ conversion of the existing structures.
c) Connection of the existing structures theirselves and of the 4
different parts of the park by finding a superordinating structure.
d) Connection and communication between the park and the
sorrounding city quarters.

F.C. 3.The disposal of an industrial area for an industrial city means the “death” of the city itself. How do you feel by giving her a new life, new perspectives and a new future?

T.L. In general the disposal of an industrial area for an industrial city does not mean at all the “death” of the city itself but opens up new perspectives and great chances to realize innovative projects in a changing, modern society. The way of life changed a lot within the last years and and the modern architect has to deal with different needs and requirements.
Turin is realizing a serial of projects dealing with the industrial sites in the city center (see all “Spina projects”). The site of Parco Dora ist the biggest brownfield in Turin and especially because of its destination to be a park it is actually one of the most important projects for the city. It also reflects a new position in how to project public and green spaces in our times: sustainability and sensitive handling of the sites characteristics (genius loci) but at the same time questions about maintenance and costs are essential for the success of a park. We hope that the realisation of our project will respect our intentions

and details but we are quite confident that the firms do a good job…

F.C. 4.Which principles and methods have you used during the development of the area to face the socials problems of the district?

T.L. During the progetto preliminare and the progetto definitivo we had several meetings with “old” and “new” inhabitants of the sorrounding districts.
It is important to dicuss needs and expectations of the future users of the park at this stage of the project because once it will be their park and the more they can identify with the park the more they will care about it.
The area around Parco Dora socially seen is not uniform: on the one hand it is an existing quarter characterized by the industrial history. This means mostly people who grew up as well with the contamination of the area as with the benefits of work given by the industry. Our intention here is to create a public park for everyone that is more than a garden, that offers possibilities to all kind of interests but also keeps the memory of the industry. Existing and kept structures can be the cities memory and it is important not to ignore this.
On the other hand there are a lot of new housing projects around the park with new infrastructures such as supermarkets, schools and so on. They have partially different needs. They need gardens and green spaces for free time, for the children, for different cultures,…
The social problems of the still changing and growing quarter in our opinion are not conceivable in all details yet but we are sure that the Parco Dora will be a place the different kind of users will identify with.

F.C. 5.Do you think that parco Dora in this urban transformation of the city could become a New Park for the city?

T.L. As said before the site of Parco Dora ist the biggest brownfield in Turin and especially because of its destination to be a parc it is actually one of the most important projects for the city. It also reflects a new position in how to project public and green spaces in our times: sustainability and sensitive handling of the sites characteristics (genius loci) but at the same time questions about maintenance and costs are basically for the success of a park.
Therefore Parco Dora will not be only a park for the district but definitely a park for the whole city and maybe also for visitors from outside.

 

F.C. 6.If you should describe your project to the citizens of Torino, what would you say to them?
 

T.L. Come and use the Park! The Parco Dora is a public park that will not just be being-seen but being-used. The park lives up to all expectations such as small scaled garden areas, playgrounds for children of all ages, sport facilities, open greens for leisure, multifunctional areas for events and sports as well as information about the historical context. We are sure that everyone will find his reason why to identify with the park.

 

 

F.C.  7.Could the planning of parco Dora in an area with such a strong past remember you some of your projects?

T.L. The project has a lot in common for example with the Landschaftspark Duisburg Nord but the sorrounding of the site is totally different becauseParco Dora is located in the city center.
In the end the methodology how to work on those kind of projects is similar but the character of the site with its history and the specific elementsare not universal. Therefore each project has its own qualities, potencies and challenges.

 

F.C. 8. If you should give an advice to a young Architect interested in your work, what would you suggest to him?

T.L. Designing a project is important but it is even more important to be for example a good engineer, a sensitive reader of the site and its characteristics or a person who can understand the people`s needs and concerns.
Topics as sustainibility, materials, thinking about maintenance and costs, public participation or the reading and understanding of the character are much more important for the quality of the project than just the design.
You can make experiences and learn from project all over the world and often you have to work with specialists from other countries, so it is absolutely necessary to speak foreign languages.

 

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