Big Bologna. Anomalies of large-scale public spaces

Abstract

In the suburb of Bologna new public spaces were recently born, very different from the historical ones, which clearly express the mania of greatness, the syndrome of Big Bologna. Everywhere you look you can see new manifestations of an out-of-proportion scale that contributes to social segregation. Since the white towers of Kenzo Tange megastructure at the Fiera District have been built, the large-scale has generated little pleasant public spaces for urban life. Perhaps these mega-projects are inevitable signs of the globalization era, but someone may wonder if the clients and their architects were aware of how the design of such forms produce a deterrent to socialization.