The winning projects for the Solar Park South international design competition in Calabria, Italy have recently been announced. The brief called for a ‘Solar Highway’ by re-using Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway sections between Scilla and Bagnara to be decommissioned by the Italian Highways Authority. The international jury selected three winning projects as well as ten Honorable Mentions.
First Prize: PR+OFF (France) From the project description: “The bridges allow a limited impact on the landscape. The local culture of bergamotte demonstrates the region’s perfectly tempered weather (8°-30°C), and the volcanic area reveals a high energy potential. The climate and the site inspire vertical villages for the european snowbirds (housing/medical equipment/entertainment/shops) that are connected by walkways to the sea and highways to the cities. This contemporary archeology (the bridge over the bridge) results in a process where urban falls meet the climbing nature. The vertical privacy of the inhabited piles supports the horizontal sociability of the public equipped decks, while providing a unique view for each one, at every level. The combination between the infrastructure and the environment is efficient enough to establish a new responsible high quality way of living.”
The system is autonomous regarding the main resources water and energy thanks to the rainwater and the geothermal power.
http://www.bustler.net/index.php/article/winners_of_the_solar_park_south_design_competition/