HONEYCOMB PIAZZA
13 Jul 2016
A cold concrete space in Favara, Italy, has been transformed into a lovely urban park with a clever honeycomb design and interactive elements that welcome visitors into the green space with music.
A honeybee-inspired urban intervention has transformed a Sicilian city block into a thriving green public space.
Milia Arredamenti and Farm Cultural Park commissioned OFL Architecture to design Zighizaghi, a multi-sensory urban garden in the town of Favara. Completed last month, the new “living room” to Favara welcomes visitors with plants, music, and art.
“The project springs from the need to create a welcoming place for the citizens of Favara while simultaneously donating to the city an innovative public space shaped from the perfect combination of wood and vegetation,” write the architects.
In contrast to the site’s original and muted concrete setting, Zighizaghi is filled with greenery and playful elements from its honeycomb shape to the red light fixtures that double as loudspeakers.
“Thanks to its interactive character, Zighizaghi transforms its external space into a dynamic environment where music acts as a vehicle between nature and visitors,” continue the architects.
The genius of Zighizaghi lies in the use of modular timber hexagons, made from Okoumè, which offer flexibility in design, both in the way they are configured and used. While most hexagonal elements were used as pavers, others double as seating or planters for Mediterranean plants with automatic irrigation systems.
Six fourteen-sided red prisms, called Super Pods, which stand on eight skinny black legs and are used for lighting and music, punctuate the space.
