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Palermo Airport Retail
Palermo Airport Retail
Località Punta Raisi, Palermo, Sicilia, Italy
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Palermo Airport Retail
Località Punta Raisi, Palermo, Sicilia, Italy
The project focuses on a functional topic that is
increasingly dominating contemporary society: the commercial spaces within a
very highly frequented place such as a airport. Railway stations, airports,
shopping malls and outlets are today termed as “superplaces”: non-relational
architectural environments, isolated from city life, that are characterized by
an absence of social exchange.
The situation in Palermo
is, fortunately, not that extreme. The transformations at the Punta Raisi
airport have been planned to occur over a period of time and include expanding
the existing structure with subsequent development of the sales points inside.
The project originates, in fact, as a Masterplan with a fixed agenda to
increase the shop areas in separate phases and includes analyses of the
activities based on the type of goods offered, so as to promote a sense of
belonging to the territory. The conceptual goal was to try and establish a
memorable relationship between the situations experienced within the space and
the ensuing emotions, so that the waiting and purchase areas are not vague
spaces that function simply for transitory socialization.
A key element, therefore, is the façade system applied
to the shops: a composition of shapes and materials that can generate physical
and emotional experiences and at the same time evoke Sicilian regional
features. The walls were built using terracotta elements in three different
sizes that are pierced by a stationary, center metal pole. The overall design
reflects the natural shapes that can be identified in the local terrain and
recalls the stone pavement used in the historic center of Palermo. The material was produced by skilled
artisans and stimulates a strong tactile experience. The “tiles”, in fact, spin
around the center pole, enticing waiting passengers to interact with the
material and its composition. The idea was not only to encourage physically
touching the rough texture of the terracotta tiles but also to create
continuously changing walls. The borders of the tiles were glazed using tones
that chromatically bring to mind the sea, salt mines and citrus plantations. As
a result, the interaction of passengers in changing the colors around them,
creates rich and vibrant environments.
increasingly dominating contemporary society: the commercial spaces within a
very highly frequented place such as a airport. Railway stations, airports,
shopping malls and outlets are today termed as “superplaces”: non-relational
architectural environments, isolated from city life, that are characterized by
an absence of social exchange.
The situation in Palermo
is, fortunately, not that extreme. The transformations at the Punta Raisi
airport have been planned to occur over a period of time and include expanding
the existing structure with subsequent development of the sales points inside.
The project originates, in fact, as a Masterplan with a fixed agenda to
increase the shop areas in separate phases and includes analyses of the
activities based on the type of goods offered, so as to promote a sense of
belonging to the territory. The conceptual goal was to try and establish a
memorable relationship between the situations experienced within the space and
the ensuing emotions, so that the waiting and purchase areas are not vague
spaces that function simply for transitory socialization.
A key element, therefore, is the façade system applied
to the shops: a composition of shapes and materials that can generate physical
and emotional experiences and at the same time evoke Sicilian regional
features. The walls were built using terracotta elements in three different
sizes that are pierced by a stationary, center metal pole. The overall design
reflects the natural shapes that can be identified in the local terrain and
recalls the stone pavement used in the historic center of Palermo. The material was produced by skilled
artisans and stimulates a strong tactile experience. The “tiles”, in fact, spin
around the center pole, enticing waiting passengers to interact with the
material and its composition. The idea was not only to encourage physically
touching the rough texture of the terracotta tiles but also to create
continuously changing walls. The borders of the tiles were glazed using tones
that chromatically bring to mind the sea, salt mines and citrus plantations. As
a result, the interaction of passengers in changing the colors around them,
creates rich and vibrant environments.
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