Sezione Giardino delle Vergini: Lo spazio pubblico come centro della vita comunitaria

The Giardino delle Vergini has been conceived as a proper section of the Italian Pavilion of the 17th International Architecture Exhibition. The theme of Resilient Communities is treated here focusing on public space with an exploration of urban resilience in the contemporary city.

Since the ancient city, public space has always played a central role in the unfolding of collective activities. The Greek agora, the Roman forum, the town square, the markets and the streets of all the world's civilizations are admirable examples of public spaces capable of promoting social, economic and political interaction among inhabitants. With the advent of modernity and the significant influence that Le Corbusier's Ville Radieuse had on the twentieth century's urban theories, the street, the public space par excellence, has deteriorated dematerializing into undefined semi-urban green spaces. This aspect has produced problems related to safety, low social aggregation between the inhabitants, and environmental and acoustic pollution.