The New Square
The new Piazza Garibaldi is a new central hub—an axis connecting past, present, and future; a physical space designed to generate opportunities and initiatives for the revival and revitalization of the town itself. The transformation of Viale Garibaldi, once an important but unappealing urban road, into a proper urban square provides the ideal connection between the consolidated historic center and the new proposals of the Reconstruction Plan, which place new public functions along the extension of the street.
The redesign of this urban space must serve as the starting point and the common denominator for undertaking new actions in the coming years. The transformation of the town must begin with the Square—a historical and symbolic place for citizens. It must become the fulcrum and binding element of the entire municipal area; a space capable of attracting both residents and visitors, revitalizing and enhancing commerce, and—most importantly—adapting over time to host events such as exhibitions, fairs, markets, and public gatherings, thereby expressing a concept of urban flexibility.
This square stands as a symbol of the cultural blend typical of a river town located on the border between provinces and regions—a place that unites the people of Concordia and sets them apart. It is a new symbol for restarting from tradition.
The square extends along a southwest axis for approximately 74 meters (intersection of Viale Garibaldi and Via Pace), and along a northeast axis for about 29 meters (intersection of Viale Garibaldi and Via Muratori), with a total surface area of roughly 1,600 square meters.
Relationship with the Site
The urban redevelopment of Via Garibaldi—through the creation of a new Square and the adjacent private building (former Palazzo Mari)—is both a fascinating and complex theme. It holds latent but open potential, almost “waiting,” to extend the “city effect” into the surrounding historic fabric.
Today, Concordia faces an urgent and unavoidable need to change its very urban form due to the consequences of the seismic emergency. Only through a reorganization of the territory can urban functionality and collective well-being be improved. The primary goal of this project, therefore, is to reconnect the historic center with its surrounding structures and landmarks by means of the new Piazza Garibaldi, thus setting the stage for a broader and more continuous system of reconnection.
The project will focus on place quality, livability, the importance of trees, and the richness of human interactions—pursuing an approach that does not erase memory, but rather interprets the morphology and specific characteristics of the area. The aim is to bring new “energy” to the context—energy that aligns with the site’s untapped potential.
The idea of restarting from an urban symbol is the project’s conceptual core: a line drawn to separate the past from a projected future. This emblem—or allegory—is represented by a tree of native species, a living memorial to the 2012 events and simultaneously a new sacred tree, echoing Concordia’s historical symbolism. It stands for identity, sustainability, and environmental awareness. It becomes a new center of gravity for the town—a place where people can come together and grow.
In blending innovation with tradition, the square will also feature a linear water feature—a reference to the nearby Secchia River. Another element of identity will be a preserved fragment of the original portico of the Palazzo Mari, integrated into the new building, honoring its shape and geometry in a silent, respectful dialogue between old and new. The new building, with its clean lines, integrates harmoniously with the context—avoiding stark contrasts and clearly asserting its connection to place despite its modernity.
The Space
This carefully measured project aims to deliver high urban and architectural quality through strong connections to the area’s key landmarks: links to the two squares at the north and south ends, and to the Secchia riverbank, directly accessible from the avenue and the new square via internal pathways through the historic center’s courtyards.
Piazza Garibaldi will be a fully accessible space, free of geometric barriers, while still allowing for light traffic circulation to ensure continued accessibility to the local commercial activities. This light-traffic route, outlined on the ground with a metal channel, will be located slightly off-center—specifically on the north side—to maximize pedestrian space. This design choice is not a physical barrier or subdivision, as it sits flush with the rest of the paved area. Rather, it enhances the potential of a truly pedestrian surface that can host large gatherings, markets, performances, concerts, and all types of public events.
As previously mentioned, the square will feature two urban symbols. The first is a tree planted in a circular concrete gravel bench, symbolizing the passage of time and representing the “new Concordia.” The second is a water blade tracing on the ground the footprint of the demolished Palazzo Mari. Together with the preserved portico fragment, this feature will also indicate the entrance to the Church of the Conversion of St. Paul, creating a new protected gathering space off Via della Pace.
Additional urban furnishings, such as seating made from concrete blocks and lighting poles, will be placed to mark the site of the demolished Palazzo Mari. These elements will also serve as frames for the commercial and artisan activities on the ground floor of the new building.
The new square will overflow and connect, via a covered passage on the ground floor, with the space between the rectory and the Church of St. Paul. This solution will effectively expand the square’s perspective while providing protection and flexible use for surrounding activities. It is a deliberate strategy to allow the regenerative impact of this new development to extend into the surrounding areas—not by replicating protective porticoes, but by connecting the built environment in a cohesive and accessible way.
Only by doing this will usage opportunities grow, as the square becomes the catalyst of a comprehensive urban regeneration. While the square will have defined boundaries through its new paving, it will conceptually continue into Viale Garibaldi and extend onto Via Pace. The continuation of the tree-lined street will unify this extension with the new urban boulevard linking the town’s key landmarks.
The proposed design responds to the dual need of unifying surfaces while varying the spatial perception of the place, using vertical “strips” to connect adjacent buildings and horizontal paving to create cohesion. It will be a measured, elegant square—intended to include, not exclude.
The new urban space will reorganize the various existing elevation levels, eliminating prior unevenness and creating a unified and highly accessible area. Only the car-access section will have a convex slope for stormwater drainage. The remaining areas will have a maximum gradient of 2%. There will be a slight height difference between the paving and the water blade so that even when dry, the area remains usable.
Project Data
Design: KM 429, Francesco Pergetti, Francesco Sabbatini
Completion Year: 2025
Built Area (m2 or sqft). 1.600 m2
Project Location: Concordia sulla Secchia – Modena -Italy
Photographer: Davide Galli
Client: Municipality of Concordia on the Secchia
