Former Arsenal, Pavia

Revealing the water

Typology

Masterplan Waterfront

Program

Public place

Perspective

Biodiversity Urban Regeneration

Location

45.186 181, 9.135 138

This intervention places Pavia at the forefront of managing its territorial heritage, reaffirming the profound bond between the city, nature, and water. No longer a barrier, but a bridge between past and future, between urban environment and natural landscape, in a transformation process that welcomes and enhances life in all its forms.

In Pavia, the Ex-Arsenal area has been transformed into a unique opportunity for urban regeneration, where water, landscape, and architecture interact to restore to the citizens a space that was previously denied to them. The Navigliaccio, rediscovered and enhanced, serves as the foundation for a linear park that redefines the relationship between the city and its natural environment, alternating contemplative stretches of water with embankments that gradually return to the spontaneity of vegetation.

Water, an ever-changing element, shapes the landscape and enhances its perception, creating a mosaic of reflections and colours that interacts with the new architecture and open spaces. The project does not merely outline static forms but envisions transformation as a dynamic process in which time and spontaneous enjoyment play a central role. Citizens are actively engaged in the area's metamorphosis through events, temporary installations, and experimental spaces, fostering a new relationship between humanity and nature.

The rediscovery of the Navigliaccio not only connects the existing urban fabric but also strengthens the city's ecological system, reducing hydrogeological risk through intelligent water management and enhancing the wetland's biodiversity. Pedestrian and cycle paths wind through the park, guiding visitors on a journey through shifting landscapes: from more structured urban areas to open spaces where nature prevails.

At the centre of this transformation is the new state property archives project, two buildings that blend memory and innovation. Historical industrial architecture is reinterpreted in a contemporary key, with dynamic façades that respond to environmental conditions and materials that dialogue with the river context. The buildings are reflected in the artificial lake surrounding them, making them living elements of the landscape and contributing to a balanced, sustainable microclimate.