02-07-2020

Labirinto della Masone, conversations on green spaces, landscape... and architecture

Matteo Thun e Luca Colombo, Pier Carlo Bontempi,

Massimo Listri, Yann Monel, Mauro Davoli©, Marco Campanini,

Parma, Italy, Fontanellato (PR), Italy,

Landscape, Nature Center,

Events and meetings dedicated to green spaces, gardens and landscape are set to restart at Labirinto della Masone in Fontanellato (Parma). The programme is not the original one: new meetings have been added, in which architecture also plays a leading role. The topics addressed offer new food for thought to stress the importance of green spaces, both in cities and in workplaces.



Labirinto della Masone, conversations on green spaces, landscape... and architecture

After being "halted" by the lockdown in March, today, July 2, conversations dedicated to green spaces, gardens and landscape are to start again at the Labirinto della Masone in Fontanellato, in collaboration with Parma’s FAI delegation (National Trust of Italy). The programme is not the original one: new meetings have been added, in which architecture also plays a leading role and there is no lack of discussion of pressing current issues. The main purpose of the event is precisely to offer food for thought on a spectrum of topics ranging from the world of plants and gardens to different disciplines. The meetings, for instance, aim to highlight the importance of green spaces in cities and workplaces, as well as addressing specific areas of discussion such as the history of gardening, or landscape restoration (on which the third meeting with Alberta Campitelli is focused), or gardening in the gastronomy domain (which is the subject of the second event with Gottardo Bonacini).

Labirinto della Masone covers a large seven hectare space, offering interesting architectures and an actual labyrinth: a green park made of approximately 200 thousand bamboo plants and offering 3 kilometres of paths along which guests can lose themselves. The Labyrinth architectures, inspired by utopian visions of neoclassical architects such as Boullée, Lequeu and Ledoux, were designed by architect Pier Carlo Bontempi, while the landscape project was designed by architect Davide Dutto. The different architectures include the Museum housing the art works collected by Italian publisher and owner of the Labyrinth, Franco Maria Ricci, the library, with his collections and the books published by the bibliophile, the spaces used to host temporary exhibitions and the bistro-café.
The first of the “conversations on green spaces” is to take place today, in this scenic location on the outskirts of Parma, dedicated to a project that is currently underway. The event concerns the presentation of the “Kilometroverde Parma” project, focused on “A new way of (re)thinking the landscape”. The masterplan was designed by the Florence-based Studio Bellesi Giuntoli firm and concerns an urban reforestation intervention. The project aims to create an area of permanent forests north of Parma, running for 11 kilometres parallel to the A1 motorway, introducing a green barrier that can offer a valuable contribution to reducing pollution caused by both fine particles and noise, while at the same time encouraging good practices, both in terms of care and development of the area.
The fourth event will focus on the importance of green spaces in everyday life, with particular attention to workplaces. On that occasion, sociologists Domenico De Masi, Davide Bollati, Chair of the Davines Group, and architect Tommaso Del Buono will discuss the Davines Village, built a few kilometres from Parma. Designed by architects Matteo Thun and Luca Colombo, with the landscape architecture created by the Del Buono Gazerwitz firm, the Davines Village project is a clear example of a company pursuing “common benefit” objectives (B-Corp), focusing on the well-being of staff, on harmony of the workplace and on sustainability of the production chain. The initiative will end on July 30, when educator Irene Salvaterra and pedagogist Laura Malavasi will give a talk on open-air learning and on new educational methods with the aim of understanding the stimuli provided by nature.

(Agnese Bifulco)

Images courtesy of Labirinto della Masone, photo by Marco Campanini, Mauro Davoli, Massimo Listri, Yann Monel.


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