werk, bauen + wohnen 5–2018
No Fear of the Territorio
“Our first gaze is always focussed on the Territorio.” This statement could easily come from the exponents of the Tendenza that made Ticino architecture internationally known in the 1970s and 1980s, or possibly from representatives of the younger generation of architects in this southern canton. In fact it forms part of the mission statement of the property developer Artisa. In the space of just a few years this business, which is based in Lamone, has grown into one of the major players that today dominate the building market in Ticino and are often held responsible for the unrestricted sprawl of development across the landscape and the loss of a culture of building. In the word “territory” questions about ownership, power and the domination of the landscape all resonate.
Has the modern discourse about the Territorio, which was initiated by Vittorio Gregotti in the 1960s, become obsolete as a result of being used to justify commercial interests? We think not.
Today it is particularly important to inform as many as possible of those involved in the political, economic and building processes about the joint interest in the quality, dignity and beauty of settlement and landscape. The southern part of the country is undergoing such profound changes that decisive action is needed in order to ensure that a historic opportunity is not missed: with the new base tunnels through the Gotthard and Monte Ceneri Ticino moves closer to German-speaking Switzerland and Milan—but the individual parts of the canton have also moved closer together.
As a result of the constriction of the landscape and the limited amount of land that can be built on the landscape in Ticino is particularly fragile, while at the same time an extremely promising starting point is offered for “commanding” the landscape, rethinking and designing it: We hope that this issue will contribute to the de velopment of a common ground on which Ticino can find a new urban design identity.
werk, bauen + wohnen would like to thank the FAS Ticino and, in particular, its president Francesco Buzzi as well as Renato Magginetti for their valuable support in making the present issue. — Benjamin Muschg, Tibor Joanelly