The project aboul a Wasle-to-energy plant in Livorno offered a chance lo redefine a wasle disposal pian t as well as address
the issue from an environmental and archilectural slandpoint.
Because of the size of such pianI, the architeclural project has implications on the local community thal are under everyone’s
eyes. So, confining such plans lo some marginai area or camouflaging their impacl on Ihe surroundings would be
unthinkable, and the most reasonable approach is lo acknowledge them as an integrai part of the city’s fabric and the
broader area.
Recenl projecls and jobs corroborale such philosophy: in Vienna a colourful buildings has been converted inlo a museum
lo be visiled and fami liarised wilh, in Bergamo an intrieale seI of mirrors reveals Ihe inleriors wilh no medialions or melalanguages.
The Livorno projeel would bring the three ineineralor lines lnlo one volume, basieally made of a melal mesh shell, giving
the body a distinctive charaeter, further enhaneed by daylight seeping in and artificiallighting coming from wilhin, fillered
through a Ihin metal skin.
The ehimneystaek, a symbolie landmark thal has Ihe greatest impael on the surroundings, slands oul with its intrieate
slruelure thal looks like an upward-Iapered, clove-shaped ellipsoid, enclosing Ihree BOml ta li slaeks.
The melal mesh facing shapes Ihe uniI inlo a seulpted oulline, as a sort of designer item, as well as producing a surfaee
lension thal looks inleresling and attractive for whal il encloses and whal il Utums inlo~ al night.
The lighting syslem is developed lo give prominence lo the design philosophy: Ihe floor projeclors, some of which have
digilally-controlled eolour fillers, offset the melal panelling and the proeessing steps.
In the ehimney, the aetual eatalyst of the plant, a dynamic “Aetive Lighf’ syslem ehanges the surface colour lo slrengthen
the symbolic value of Ihe ilem, so Ihe plant is noi only fell as a mere industriai building but as a deserving modern maehine
al the serviee of the eommunity.