Public space at the schools of Sonvico

Urban redevelopment and traffic calming focused on the district schools.

In the area of the Sonvico primary schools, a new public transport stop, a safer school access, and a new basketball court have been built.

Objectives

The project is part of a broader urban redevelopment and traffic calming initiative in the Sonvico district, ratified by the former municipality in 2012 and launched by the City of Lugano after the merger.

The interventions aimed to achieve five key objectives:

create a pedestrian pathway separated from the road
enhance and redevelop the pedestrian axis crossing the district
develop recognizable pathways using consistent materials
redevelop urban spaces and pedestrian pathways as tools for traffic calming
improve the provision of urban services and facilities (parking, bus stops, benches, public spaces)

Interventions

The redevelopment project in the school area - designed by architect Enrico Sassi and the engineering firm Mauri e Associati - primarily included the creation of a new bus stop and a system to organize school access.

The completed interventions range from improving pedestrian safety with the construction of a sidewalk along the cantonal road, to traffic calming at the intersection with Via Ra Bressanèla, creating a new school entrance, planting an oak tree, and building a circular "hill" functioning as a seating area for the basketball court, which was redesigned specifically for this project.

The stepped system incorporates flowerbeds with selected plant species typical of dry meadows. The circular access area from the road is paved with reused porphyry blocks and pieces cut from the same slabs used to pave Piazza della Riforma. Observant visitors will notice another unique set of tiles engraved with the alphabet, numbers from 0 to 9, and the @ symbol, crafted by Giulia Cavadini, an apprentice stonemason of the Divisione spazi urbani (Division of Urban Spaces).

The stone steps were sourced from the City’s storage and once formed part of the staircase of S. Lorenzo Cathedral. Nearby is a drinking fountain, and a ramp ensures wheelchair and disabled access to the school.