URBAN VOIDS

Railway yards, suburbs and society

Urban voids and railway yards as a key to understanding past and future projects, investigating architectural topicality.

In a historical period where the protection of the suburbs and the blockade of the cementation on green areas seem to have taken on a central role, the theme of the regeneration of abandoned areas within cities appears to attract the public attention. The rapid development of the society has led to the modification of the cities as regards its infrastructure and the former industrial areas.
Several areas, previously considered strategic for industrial production and the transport of goods by rail, today present themselves as relics of an industrial past that has now gone down.

In the same way, if it is true that architecture is a mirror of society and vice versa, the latter also seems to present a sort of “void” generated by the lack and loss of values.

We should ask ourselves: what are the connections that flow between the city and the historical present? What does urban void mean? What is the future of these areas? What is the new function assigned to them? And above all, how can urban voids influence contemporary society?

Editorial: Marco Grattarola and Duccio Prassoli
Cover: Marco Grattarola, Vuoti Urbani, 2018