Antico Lavatoio in Via Mario Lupo - Bergamo 
NEW URBAN ECOSYSTEMS: BETWEEN HISTORY, NATURE AND THE FUTURE

An ecosystem is the harmonious whole of living organisms and non-living elements interacting with one another, forming a dynamic system in balance.

Even the city, with all its complexity, can be seen as an ecosystem: an urban ecosystem, where the built environment forms the backdrop to the life that unfolds within it.

In the case of Città Alta, this ecosystem appears as a layered mosaic shaped by centuries of history.
From its Roman origins to the Venetian Walls of the 16th century, from 19th-century palaces to contemporary architecture, each era has left its mark, creating a dense and fascinating urban fabric.

At the heart of this context – precisely where the ancient washhouse of Via Mario Lupo is located – the urban landscape is dominated by inert materials and structures.

A place rich in memory, yet where the presence of living nature is almost entirely absent.

This is where the challenge proposed by the Landscape Festival comes in: to imagine new urban ecosystems capable of integrating nature and city in a sustainable and resilient way.
With the project for the Antico Lavatoio, the designers aimed to add a new layer to the urban ecosystem of Città Alta: that of biodiversity.

An intervention conceived to bring nature back to the center, restoring a balance between history, landscape, ecology, and community.

Trees pruned into geometric shapes – a tribute to historical gardens – interact with shrubs, grasses, and brightly colored herbaceous plants with a light appearance, capable of attracting pollinating insects and breathing new life into the space.
A small urban garden that not only enhances the surrounding historical architecture, but also invites rest, interaction, and social exchange.

A new ecosystem that welcomes visitors into the green heart of Città Alta, where past and future intertwine in a more vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable present.

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© Arch. paes. Greta Bianchi

    Arch. paes. Michele Pezzoni

    Arch. paes. Marco Togni