Il nuovo distretto sportivo di Codroipo si configura come un sistema integrato per la pratica sportiva contemporanea e sostenibile, in cui le diverse discipline dialogano tra loro e con il Parco delle Risorgive, che si estende fino agli spazi sportivi. La relazione tra sport e natura costituisce il principio fondativo del progetto, promuovendo una fruizione equilibrata tra chi pratica attività sportive e chi vive quotidianamente il parco.

Pur nella forte intersezione tra i due ambiti, il progetto cerca una chiara identità per ciascuno di essi, valorizzando le specificità dello spazio sportivo e di quello naturalistico all’interno di un disegno unitario. Il distretto assume anche il ruolo di elemento di ricucitura urbana tra il centro storico, i quartieri residenziali limitrofi, l’area sportiva esistente e il parco, oggi vicino al centro ma privo di connessioni pedonali continue e di un ingresso principale riconoscibile. Il nuovo sistema ristabilisce continuità spaziali, ambientali e funzionali, rafforzando il rapporto tra città, sport e paesaggio.

La strategia insediativa individua alle estremità del sito le aree di sosta, liberando la parte centrale, cuore del progetto, per le attività sportive e l’integrazione controllata del parco.

A nord è prevista la riqualificazione dell’edificio esistente, destinato a nuova sede delle associazioni sportive e concepito come principale porta d’accesso al distretto. Questo elemento funge da ingresso riconoscibile e filtro tra città, sport e paesaggio. Da qui si sviluppa una direttrice pavimentata su cui si attestano campi da gioco e una pensilina coperta, elemento ordinatore che connette le diverse funzioni alle aree di parcheggio e alle scuole esistenti, in relazione al tessuto costruito.

A sud il progetto rafforza il dialogo con la città e il parco tramite la nuova palestra, edificio contemporaneo che ricerca il dialogo con l’ambiente naturale, contenendo l’elevazione dalla quota del terreno, risultando parzialmente incassato nel terreno e sormontato da una copertura verde che prolunga il sistema paesaggistico, segnando un secondo punto di accesso riconoscibile. La palestra coincide con la terminazione di un secondo ambito pavimentato su cui sono innestati ulteriori spazi sportivi e l’area cani.

Le aree nord e sud sono oggi separate dalla circonvallazione. Il progetto affronta la criticità mediante una sopraelevazione del parco che attraversa la viabilità, garantendo continuità ecologica e funzionale. Nei punti di connessione a terra si collocano funzioni di servizio come bar, parcheggi coperti, spalti, locali tecnici e il polo museale delle Risorgive, integrate nel disegno complessivo del paesaggio. Sul lato ovest del parco, dove la Roggia San Odorico crea una discontinuità con il tessuto urbano; il progetto prevede nuovi collegamenti ciclo-pedonali tramite semplici ponti complanari, rafforzando la connessione con il Parco Urbano Durigat, anch’esso oggetto di riqualificazione.

L’intero distretto è concepito secondo principi di inclusività, garantendo accesso alle aree sportive, piena fruizione del parco e continuità dei percorsi pedonali e ciclabili tra centro, quartieri e sistema del Parco delle Risorgive. Il progetto restituisce alla città un luogo dove sport, paesaggio e spazio pubblico convivono in equilibrio, preservando identità riconoscibili e costruendo un duraturo rapporto tra comunità, natura e movimento.

“A strong commitment to sustainability defines this proposal. The project emphasises the patterns of nature-greenery, water, and the creation of new centres of activity. It envisions a new sports park where nature and human presence can find a renewed balance.”

Giovanni Aurino – OD’A Officina d’Architettura

“The project is highly appreciated for its sensible thorough research into the landscape and community. The use of partially underground architecture is a well-considered solution, providing additional space for outdoor life and activities while preserving the site’s openness.”

Silvia Gelain – Atelier Chony

Codroipo exists as a profound cultural mosaic within the Friulian Plain. However, its current sports district remains a collection of isolated functional islands lacking a unified vision. Rather than imposing a forced, top-down order, this proposal adopts the methodology of “The Urban Collage,” where new programmatic layers are surgically superimposed onto the existing fabric, creating a localised negotiation between history and modernity.

Through the juxtaposition of heterogeneous elements, the project redirects facilities into a state of organisedcomplexity. It generates a vibrant district where localised tensions between diverse programmes create complementary urban energy—an environment that is dynamic, resilient, and deeply contextual.

The strategic framework is defined by two primary experiential loops: the North Sports Loop, consolidating fragmented athletic assets, and the South Nature Loop, anchoring the site into the ecological corridor of the Regional Park of the Risorgive. A restored ecological axis along the Roggia San Odorico stitches these sectors together, while transverse sports axis and civic axis reintegrate the previously isolated Parco Durigatinto a legible urban system.

Prioritising human-centric values and Active Mobility, this proposal replaces rigid fences with vegetative buffers and asphalt with permeable gravel. Underutilised voids are transformed into dense groves and revitalised outdoor spaces, replacing urban expansion with the aggregation and reuse of existing resources.

The district evolves from a restricted zone of segregated facilities into an all-day “Diffused Sports Plaza.” Here, sport transcends physical activity to become a catalyst for urban identity and social-ecological inclusion. Providing a welcoming haven for all—from children and students to the elderly—the project creates a shared habitat for both domestic pets and local biodiversity, weaving a richer tapestry of life into the urban fabric.

“The project is awarded for its urban methodology, which integrates new layers into Codroipo’sexisting fabric. By replacing rigid fences with vegetative filters and focusing on active mobility, the proposal transforms the district into a shared space where social inclusion and ecological resilience weave a new urban fabric. The strategic framework, built around two loop paths (North Sports Loop and South Nature Loop), reconciles local history with contemporary needs. The new sports hall, a light-filled structure, serves as an architectural hub and a new landmark for the community.”

Raffaelle Sciascia – Eur S.p.A.

Altis: Il masterplan per Codroipo

Richiamando l’omonimo recinto sacro di Olimpia, il masterplan “Altis” per Codroipo si configura come un orga-nismo territoriale capace di trasformare le criticità idriche in un’opportunità di rigenerazione urbana e paesaggi-stica. Il principio cardine è la rigorosa ortogonalità rispetto al ruscello esistente, una griglia che governa i flussi tramite unarete di nuovi canali. Questi vettori idrici scandiscono lo spazio e diventano veri generatori della forma urbana, definendo interassi variabili che dettano la cadenza delle funzioni insediate. In questa trama ritmica, la vocazione sportiva trova la sua massima espressione, elevandosi a pilastro della proposta.

L’acqua come infrastruttura attiva

L’acqua smette di essere un elemento decorativo e diventa un’infrastruttura attiva a supporto delle attività atle-tiche edel benessere. Sui margini dei canali si innestano percorsi podistici e ciclabili che sfruttano il microclima generato dalla presenza idrica, mentre le vasche di laminazione ospitano discipline che interagiscono con l’e-lemento liquido. Questa simbiosi tra idraulica e sport permette irrigazione e manutenzione a chilometro zero. Il programma fondeattività ricreative e agonistiche in un parco lineare integrato, dove l’architettura del paesaggio agisce come collante tra necessità tecnica e desiderio sociale.

Adaptive re-use e permeabilità paesaggistica

Cerniera vitale del nuovo parco è la palestra, un radicale esempio di adaptive re-use. Il volume diventa un padi-glionepermeabile dalla massima flessibilità interna. L’operazione per sottrazione svela la struttura originaria per massimizzare la continuità visiva col paesaggio. L’elemento caratterizzante è la nuova copertura reticolare che, estendendosi oltre il perimetro, genera una vera stoà contemporanea. Al piano terra, il limite interno-esterno si dissolve: il campo ribassato permette alla luce di invadere l’arena, in continuo dialogo con la natura.

Il cuore sportivo e il paesaggio intergenerazionale

Fulcro dinamico del masterplan, la radura centrale accoglie il campo da calcio e la pista di atletica. Gli ampi canalidefiniscono i margini delle aree di allenamento outdoor a sud, sfumando nel nuovo bosco sportivo. La tra-ma dei percorsi si estende oltre l’impianto per innestarsi col vicino sito archeologico. A nord, lo spazio pubblico diventa un paesaggio ludico intergenerazionale: un playground per l’infanzia filtrato da un giardino roccioso si densifica neldistretto polisportivo, dove la vecchia palestra dialoga con nuovi volumi per l’arrampicata, campi da basket, tennis e skatepark.

Mobilità, cuore civico e mimetismo architettonico

Il Parco Durigat viene riorganizzato come nodo per la mobilità dolce, con un nuovo padiglione organico che funge da rifugio e hub per biciclette. Il cuore civico prende forma nel sistema di piazze tra le scuole: uno spazio flessibile per lacomunità dominato da una grande vasca che risolve le criticità idriche e accompagna verso il di-stretto sportivo retrostante.

Quest’ultimo respira in armonia col paesaggio. Nelle isole fluide tra i canali trovano posto i campi da calcio. Le architetture di supporto — spogliatoi e tribune — non dominano la vista: protette da ampi tetti verdi, si mimetiz-zanodiventando morbide colline abitabili. Il dialogo tra coperture erbose e canali genera un’oasi di comfort termi-co rigenerante, dove l’architettura sfuma lasciando la scena allo sport.

“The project presents a solid urban regeneration proposal, highlighting the care with which the new public squares are integrated into the existing urban fabric of Codroipo. Particularly effective is the integration of water systems as a generative structure for the masterplan, capable of transforming a critical condition into an active element of spatial and landscape organization. The choice of lightweight and flexible construction solutions is also appropriate, allowing for greater adaptability of public space and encouraging its use by the community. Equally interesting is the strategy of reusing existing infrastructure, together with new extensions, establishing a balanced dialogue between memory, landscape, and new urban activities.”

Octavio Montestruque Bisso – University of Lima

The project proposes the regeneration of the Codroipo sports district as an integrated centre dedicated to sport and wellness, open to all ages and capable of expanding its user base through nature-related activities.

The concept starts from the dialogue with the Tagliamento river, whose intertwined riverbed morphologybecomes the compositional matrix of the project. Similarly, the San Odorico canal crosses the area from north to south, forming an ecological street connecting the urban centre and the Risorgive system.

This structure generates a double axis: the “cardo della Natura”, which is organic and landscape-oriented, and the “decumano dello Sport”, dedicated to daily recreational activities. Their interaction generates new spaces for socialising and introduces a principle of biophilia capable of mending a fragmented environment, restoring its identity, continuity and urban quality.

The masterplan organises the area through a clear system of spaces and slow mobility routes, differentiatedby age and interest, while maintaining vehicular access along the perimeter. The cycle and pedestriannetwork and the squares are defined by an organic and recognisable feature, which reinforces identity and orientation within the lot.

Urban connections take the form of filter squares that accompany the transition between the city and the district, introducing a landscape dedicated to sport, leisure and well-being. To the north, these spaces interactwith the school system, forming new entrance courtyards and meeting places.

The main functions are distributed along the two generating axes, with a diversified articulation of activities to ensure accessibility and inclusion. The result is an integrated and permeable system, capable of transforming itself into a new urban centre for the community.

The choice of the plot for the new gym is based on a careful analysis of accessibility, size and integrationinto the landscape. Plots A and B are unsuitable due to space constraints, location and urban context, whileplot C, located at the end of the sports district and close to another competitive facility, offers adequate spaceand optimal flow management. Blending into the natural landscape, the gym becomes an integrated, iconicbuilding, a new urban landmark. The flexible internal configuration, with movable panels, allows for multiple uses: gym, theatre or event and conference hall, maximising its use and usability for the community and strengthening the social and cultural role of the building within the district.

The master plan and the gym are designed to be in close harmony with the natural environment. The canal generates the urban layout, while the view of the Castelliere guides the architectural design. The hill and vegetation inspire an organic roof that blends into the landscape, offering visual continuity and a privilegedrelationship with the park.

The project goal is to reorganise a large area, enhancing the path along the canal with integrated functions. The multi-purpose building along the sports axis reorganises activities, offering a versatile space open to citizens all year round. The gym, built with organic and sustainable materials, blends into the landscape, promoting environmental and social well-being and becoming the identity hub of the district.

““WHERE SPORT FLOWS” creates new and clearly defined social spaces by establishing a functional system of squares, reorganizing existing structures and introducing new, qualifying elements along a linear path. This path is made recognizable through a targeted use of colors, lines, and materials that evoke the Tagliamento River and the rich network of waterways characteristic of the Risorgive of Codroipo, while also restoring public access to the Roggia San Odorico. “The Linear Pavilion,” located in the central area of the district, stands out as a functional social landmark. The new multifunctional building is not only a sports facility; through its position and design, it becomes an innovative focal point and an urban landmark, in close harmony with the Parco delle Risorgive.”

Alessandra Baldin – Comune di Codroipo

L’idea di progetto nasce dall’esigenza di immaginare un fil rouge tra la città di Codroipo e la Riserva Naturale delle Risorgive. 

Quest’ultima rappresenta una risorsa di carattere ecologico e culturale fondamentale per lo sviluppo dell’intero centro urbano. Dunque, il progetto prende avvio dalla definizione di un masterplan che si configura come cerniera urbana tra l’ambito antropico e naturale, attraversando e mettendo in relazione i diversi paesaggi a essi correlati.

Il fil rouge dell’intervento è individuato nella caratterizzazione del lungo fiume (Roggia di Sant’Odorico) come una grande “arteria urbana”, capace di connettere la città con la riserva. Da essa si dirama una rete di percorsi urbani contraddistinti dalla presenza dell’acqua quale elemento naturale identitario.

Da questa impostazione nascono “Trame d’Acqua”, che si insinuano nel tessuto urbano collegando i diversi ambiti del masterplan e generando un sistema continuo di spazi pubblici, attrezzature sportive e percorsi lenti. Il disegno si ispira alle trame dei campi agricoli e ai relativi sistemi di irrigazione caratterizzanti il paesaggio circostante, assumendoli come elemento di mediazione tra paesaggio antropico della città insediata e quello naturale della riserva. In questa prospettiva, il progetto intende dimostrare come l’intervento antropico possa e debba preservare l’autenticità del paesaggio, instaurando un rapporto di continuità ecologica e percettiva.

L’acqua costituisce l’elemento cardine del progetto e accompagna ogni componente del masterplan sia come dispositivo ecologico sia come presenza poetica. Il sistema prevede la raccolta, la gestione e il riuso delle acque meteoriche mediante canalizzazioni integrate nello spazio urbano e coperture capaci di convogliare l’acqua verso serbatoi di accumulo, con l’obiettivo di ridurre gli sprechi e costruire una riserva idrica disponibile per usi successivi.

Parallelamente, l’impiego diffuso di pavimentazioni drenanti consente al suolo di mantenere la propria permeabilità, mentre una quota delle acque raccolte viene reimmessa in falda attraverso una rete di canali connessi al fiume, contribuendone alla rigenerazione e al supporto del sistema agricolo del territorio circostante.

Emblema delle volontà del progetto è la nuova palestra, collocata strategicamente nel punto di contatto tra città e riserva naturale, dove assume il ruolo di dispositivo di connessione tra spazio urbano e sistema ambientale.

L’edificio si configura come una grande vasca di raccolta grazie alla pendenza dichiarata della copertura, che convoglia l’acqua nel sistema delle canalizzazioni: una parte alimenta le due piazze antistanti come elemento poetico di qualificazione dello spazio pubblico, mentre la restante quota è destinata alla riserva e ai campi agricoli.

L’architettura dell’oggetto tende a essere il più possibile leggera e trasparente, grazie a una struttura reticolare sospesa con tiranti in acciaio e pannellature mobili in policarbonato traslucido che consentono la reciproca permeabilità visiva tra la città e la riserva naturale. Il disegno in sezione è estremamente rappresentativo dell’idea e dimostra come la figura “sospesa” della palestra sia da intendersi come un prolungamento dello spazio pubblico esterno, generato da due piazze simmetriche e proporzionate sui due terzi della dimensione complessiva dell’oggetto architettonico, nella volontà di creare nuovi luoghi di aggregazione e socialità per la città.

“An extremely elegant project that outlines a new urban landscape. Simple geometries rest upon the ground like woven patterns. Water becomes the element that binds together the various parts of the new urban microsystem. It is a delicate proposal that reinforces the landscape, where architecture remains simple, stereometric, and fully integrated with its context.”

Giovanni Aurino – OD’A Officina d’Architettura

CONCEPT PROPOSAL

A continuous running track together with pedestrian promenades forms the primary structural layer of the proposal, linking the football field, multi-purpose courts, skatepark, and community zones into one coherent system. The track is designed as multifunctional — serving runners, pedestrians, and cyclists alike. Thanks to its strategic connections, it allows access from various parts of the city, naturally integrating the park into the everyday life of residents. The pedestrian promenade encircles the park and continues seamlessly toward the city center, strengthening the urban connection of the area. This mobility network promotes daily physical activity and a healthy lifestyle while ensuring clear orientation and full accessibility. The park remains legible, open, and inclusive for all age groups.

Sports facilities are carefully embedded within greenery rather than separated from it. Transparent fencing, open sightlines, and gradual transitions between dynamic and calm zones create spatial continuity. Active surfaces in warm terracotta tones enter into a visual dialogue with the green landscape framework, connecting the cultural identity of the region with the natural character of the site.
At the urban scale, the park functions as an important green connector within Codriipo. Through its materiality, vegetation, and spatial openness, it reinforces the identity of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. The result is a resilient and contemporary public landscape that supports community life, movement, and a responsible response to current environmental challenges.

Structural Landscape Strategy

Greenery forms the primary spatial and ecological structure of the proposal. Tree-lined avenues define the main movement axes and create a clear compositional framework across the site. The principal alley is planted with Platanus × acerifolia and Celtis australis, providing continuous shade while referencing the character of traditional Italian promenades. Secondary avenues incorporate Tilia cordata and Carpinus betulus, introducing rhythm, seasonal variation, and microclimatic comfort.
The grassy meadows represent open recreational areas with freely placed specimen trees such as Quercus roburand Acer campestre, strengthening the landscape character and enhancing biodiversity. These areas accommodate informal activities while forming a transition between intensively used sports facilities and quieter park zones. Around retention and natural infiltration areas, moisture-tolerant species such as Alnus glutinosa and Salix alba are proposed. These trees help stabilize the soil, support the water regime, and create ecologically valuable habitats.
Community and entrance spaces are complemented by accent species such as Cercis siliquastrum and Magnolia grandiflora, providing strong seasonal expression and reinforcing the identity of the place. In sun-exposed areas, Olea europaea may be introduced as a symbolic element of the Mediterranean landscape.
Organic planting along the park edges creates a natural transition to the surrounding landscape and increases ecological resilience. A combination of perennial planting beds, flowering trees, and meadow areas supports pollinators and enhances seasonal dynamics.
Greenery therefore serves not only an aesthetic function but operates as an integrated green infrastructure system — improving microclimate, supporting water retention, providing shade, and shaping the identity of the public space. The proposal transforms the site into a cohesive recreational landscape that integrates sport, movement, community life, and environmental resilience. The park is not conceived as a collection of isolated functions, but as a continuous green structure that connects active zones, public spaces, and natural processes into a single, legible spatial composition. A key principle of the design is the elevation and expansion of green areas. Vegetation is not perceived as leftover space between functions, but becomes the primary structural element of the proposal. Lawns, groups of trees, and planting strips frame the sports facilities, define spatial hierarchies, and improve the microclimate by providing shade and reducing heat accumulation. The project also introduces natural retention areas integrated directly into the landscape. Shallow terrain depressions, vegetated swales, and permeable surfaces allow rainwater to infiltrate naturally into the ground. These nature-based solutions reduce surface runoff, support groundwater recharge, and contribute to long-term environmental sustainability. Water is not treated as waste, but as a valuable landscape element that enhances biodiversity and the seasonal dynamics of the space.

The Sport Hall

The proposed multi-purpose sports hall is partially embedded into the terrain, allowing the building to integrate naturally with its surroundings. The roof is conceived as a rectangular plane with two raised and two lowered corners, creating a dynamic yet restrained architectural expression. Through careful landscape modeling, the terrain smoothly connects to both the main sports floor and the accessible rooftop. The roof itself serves as a public space, incorporating a running track and recreational area. The hall has a capacity of 490 spectators plus dedicated spaces for wheelchair users, ensuring inclusivity and accessibility. The stepped seating is integrated directly into the section of the building, reinforcing the spatial relationship between structure and landscape. Beneath the elevated seating area, storage rooms for sports equipment and public restrooms are located. A technical room and additional service facilities are positioned under the side ramp running along the playing field.

The hall is directly connected to an existing student accommodation building, which has been repurposed to provide locker rooms, showers, and other supporting facilities. This functional linkage optimizes the overall operation of the complex and reduces the need for additional built volume. The above-ground portion of the hall is constructed from timber, emphasizing sustainability and warmth in material expression.

“The overall urban concept is compelling, envisioning a “diffuse park.” The design of the gym is particularly thoughtful, integrating well with the preservation of the former student house, which is retained. The parking concept is also well considered.”

Sara Gelibter – Sara Gelibter Architecte

​The existing Codroipo sports district, despite its abundant facilities, lacks organic connectivity and remains scattered without an overarching vision. However, the nearby educational facilities, natural environment, and heritage involve diverse potential. What form should the new master plan take? Moreover, what gesture should the new gymnasium adopt within it?

Ideal Sports District Vision

This place must evolve into a human-scale space where citizens naturally gather, communicate, and engage in diverse activities. Rather than a single large park, it is composed of a network of campos of various sizes by function, overcoming existing fragmentation and functioning as an urban center.

This will establish a more pedestrian-friendly environment and become a park with diverse possibilities. Furthermore, it is intended to integrate naturally within the city by connecting with nearby educational facilities and cultural heritage sites.

Masterplan Strategy

The Campos transcend mere open spaces, functioning as central nodes where people linger and form relationships along the flow of the Roggia San Odorico and citizens’ everyday activities. The new multi-purpose gymnasium complements the renovated Student House (Casa dello Studente), blending harmoniously into the surrounding context with a non-imposing form derived from motifs of the historic facility. Additionally, the existing Student House is reborn as a visitor center and community hub, performing auxiliary functions for both the city and the gymnasium.

As a result, the gymnasium, capable of accommodating at least 350 people, functions for various sports activities and allows citizens to freely engage, positioning itself as another campo.

Additional Strategic Elements

Sports, the Former Codroipo archaeological site, and outdoor spaces of various scales linked to the Roggia San Odorico will be utilized multifunctionally, from daily physical activities to festivals and events. The campos densely arranged throughout the site can function as central spaces where people linger. The expansive site to the south will serve as a festival venue within the city or as an archipelago where diverse people gather.

As a result, we name it ‘Campo de Codroipo’, signifying that the newly planned Codroipo sports district will become a human-scale piazza brimming with myriad activities and possibilities, naturally blending into the surrounding context like a campo of nature.

“A rich landscape program generating multiple spatial articulations. Human-scaled and domestic at both masterplan and architectural levels.”

Francesco Garofalo – Openfabric

The core design philosophy of this multifunctional sports complex is the celebration of movement, horizontality, and the fluid boundary between the built environment and the natural landscape. The guiding principle is “The Horizon,” manifesting in a series of elongated, parallel lines that stretch across the site. These lines are not merely decorative; they are the organizing principle of the entire complex.

The form is conceived as a series of stratified, horizontal planes that appear to float lightly above the ground. The façade is the primary expression of this concept. It is not a single, flat wall but a deep, layered surface. Horizontal bands of alternating materials—perhaps brushed metal, long-format timber slats, and translucent polycarbonate panels—stretch the entire length of the building. These bands visually extend the complex beyond its physical dimensions, anchoring it to the landscape and creating a dynamic play of light and shadow that changes throughout the day. The elongated lines guide the eye and, symbolically, the athlete, towards a distant goal.

The building does not simply sit on the site; it emerges from it. The landscape is designed as an extension of the architectural lines. A series of green terraces and low, grass-covered berms rise to meet the building’s plinth, blurring the line where the earth ends and the structure begins. Long, linear pathways of decomposed granite or textured concrete lead visitors to the main entrance, their geometry mirroring the building’s facade. This integration ensures the complex feels like a natural part of the topography, a man-made horizon complementing the natural one.

Ground Floor: The Field Level

This level houses the most dynamic and publicly accessible functions. The centerpiece is the multifunctional hall. Designed with high ceilings and retractable seating, its long, horizontal proportions make it ideal for a variety of indoor sports (basketball, volleyball, futsal). Large-format, translucent panels on the facade allow diffused, glare-free natural light to flood the space, maintaining a connection to the outdoors without disrupting play. This level also features the main lobby, concessions, and locker rooms, all organized along a central “spine” that maintains the building’s linear axis.

Upper Floor: The Aerobic Level

Dedicated to the athletics gym, this upper floor is a mezzanine-level space that overlooks the main hall below through a long, horizontal ribbon window. This visual connection creates a sense of energy and shared purpose between the different athletic activities. The gym itself is a long, unobstructed space for running, weight training, and fitness classes. The elongated lines of the exterior facade continue here as a full-length clerestory window, offering panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. This provides an open, airy atmosphere that is motivating for training.

“Clear and comprehensive proposal, economical in its use of expressive means yet highly effective.”

Alessandro Verona – AVS

“How far can a box go?” proposes a multifunctional civic arena structured as a calibrated system rather than a singular object. Positioned within an existing sports complex, the project operates through reciprocity — between ground and volume, interior and exterior, permanence and seasonal adaptation.

The arena is conceived as a programmatic structure: a clear structural frame supporting layered uses, controlled environmental modulation, and spatial flexibility. Its “scenic box” is not a fixed enclosure but an elastic void capable of adapting through canopy extension, adjustable openings, and calibrated light control. Sectional studies demonstrate how climatic comfort, ambient light, and enclosure shift according to configuration, enabling the building to operate across varying event scales and environmental conditions.

The longitudinal synergetic section reveals the arena as an interior continuum in dialogue with the adjacent Palestra di Pattinaggio. For instance, during winter, both structures integrate into a single extended ice-skating field, transforming the ground plane into a continuous frozen landscape. Through regulated airflow, retractable canopy systems, and envelope modulation, the architecture becomes seasonal infrastructure — expanding, contracting, and recalibrating without losing structural clarity.

Beyond the building, the intervention extends into Durigat Park. The proposal stitches the sports complex into its urban context through reinforced running and cycling networks and a densified green canopy. What was once a peripheral buffer becomes an ecological and civic connector — a beacon of nature embedded within the athletic framework.

“How far can a box go?” is therefore not defined by form alone, but by performance: structural behavior, environmental intelligence, and programmatic adaptability converge into a coherent civic system. It is an arena conceived as field, frame, and infrastructure — calibrated to evolve with use, season, and collective life.

The project reimagines the sports and recreational district of Codroipo and, in part, the landscape that encompasses it, starting with the most significant elements of the context. The goal is to substantially address the relationship between the landscape’s receptors and the project proposal, which involves new and anthropogenic interventions. Among these valuable elements are the Roggia di San Odorico, the only feature that crosses the area longitudinally, and the Parco delle Risorgive to the south, a chest of biodiversity and the territory’s ecological matrix.

Today, the area presents itself as a fragmented collection of fences, school complexes, and sports facilities. The project addresses the interstices—spaces of opportunity—transforming unused voids into active spaces where nature and landscape, guided by the two generating systems, once again become structure and connection. The project seeks not only to build, but to mend the urban fabric through the compositional variables of landscape, movement, multiplicity of uses, and originally unused spaces.

The Roggia becomes the main axis of reference for distribution, a linear path that organizes the area, determines its functional use, and directs users to places and functions, integrating with the park network. Along the main axis, several secondary paths are arranged perpendicularly like a comb, directly connected to buildings and points of interest to the linear system, creating an accessible and permeable network. Informal open spaces, covered plazas, porticos, and pergolas define and protect the main routes, creating spaces for rest, meeting, and socializing.

The new Indoor Sport Center is situated in the original location of the proposed areas, in the heart of the existing sports complex and on the land freed up by the demolition of the former student residence, preserving an important presence on this site. Specifically, the new Indoor Sport Center is designed with multifunctional value and, thanks to the covered plaza, becomes a socio-cultural and recreational activator. It is, in effect, a building open to the outside world that engages with public space and the landscape.

Sport and nature become complementary tools for collective well-being. The proposal aims to generate, overall, a landscape that incorporates existing spaces and reclaims all the “interstices” according to local rural characteristics, building up forms capable of accommodating spontaneous, organized, and mutually functional activities. Woodlands, rows of trees, wetlands, and fields are reinterpreted in a new way, linked to enjoyment and well-being. The spatial rhythm shifts, changes, and adapts based on the views and different spaces of the landscape, the seasons, the blooms, and the mowing. The existing cycle/pedestrian paths are enhanced, made safe, and integrated into a continuous network with protected crossings. Via Circonvallazione Sud is transformed into a 30 km/h zone through a distinctively colored paving. It becomes a connecting axis between the two parts of the campus.

The project doesn’t simply add new objects, but builds relationships: an open, permeable, and shared district, where landscape and sport redefine, update, and consolidate the place’s identity with new variables.

RECONNECTING THE CITY

Located between the Tagliamento River and the waters of the Corno stream, The Sports District is currently perceived as a barrier rather than an anchor. Though rich in facilities, its mono-functional layout forms a physical “crack” that separates surrounding neighborhoods and limits everyday pedestrian life.

The proposal redefines the campus as connective infrastructure. Through The Line, new cycling routes, and strategic adaptive reuse, the district becomes a permeable framework linking Durigat Urban Park, Roggia San Odorico, and adjacent communities together. What was once an isolated void transforms into a shared civic heart for Codroipo.

CREATING THE HEART: AN ALWAYS VIBRANT PUBLIC REALM

At the core of the proposal lies the creation of a continuous civic “heart,” structured by The Line, a public promenade extending from the multipurpose gym in Site A to the natural landscape of Site C. Along this north–south axis, the campus gradually transitions from urban athletic environments to open agricultural terrain, reflecting both contemporary community needs and the historical identity of Codroipo. Athletic infrastructure is reimagined through calibrated changes in pavement texture, surface markings, and open-field design, dissolving rigid boundaries between formal sport and informal play. Secondary east–west pedestrian corridors reinforce this structure, while a canal-side ecological bike spine integrates bioswales, retention ponds, rain gardens, and shaded pathways to manage water and enhance biodiversity. Together, these systems create a layered public realm where recreation, movement, and landscape operate as one.

Site A anchors the northern gateway of the campus through the new multipurpose gym, conceived as a fully flexible civic infrastructure. The existing student housing is adaptively reused as a community building, introducing ground-floor retail, civic services, shared workspaces, and association headquarters. The plaza between the gym and the preserved structure becomes a multifunctional forecourt capable of hosting weekend markets, farmers markets, and community gatherings. Inside, the gym can function as enclosed classrooms for educational programs or transform into a performance venue through a sliding façade that opens to outdoor seating. When fully activated, the two courts and exterior terraces merge into a grand hall for commencements and large public events.

From this anchor, The Line extends south as a programmed promenade linking flexible public spaces with existing school and sports facilities, forming a shared social ground for students and residents. As it progresses, formal courts gradually transition into informal recreation areas and open gathering lawns. The seating bowl is strategically relocated to the east of the soccer field, where it not only maintains optimal game-day viewing but also overlooks the adjacent public lawn, allowing the same structure to serve both athletic events and everyday life. The strengthened soccer field edge integrates ticketing, retail, and storage facilities, enhancing its capacity to host larger events in the future. Beyond this active zone, the landscape softens in Site C, where hard surfaces give way to orchards, community gardens, and a flexible plaza that reconnects contemporary public life with Codroipo’s agricultural heritage and the ecological systems of the Former Castelliere and Parco delle Risorgive.

FEASIBILITY & SUSTAINABILITY

​The proposal adopts a pragmatic and resilient development strategy aimed at creating an everyday district capable of adapting across generations. Sustainability is achieved through minimal intervention, reinforcing existing facilities while reprogramming underutilized spaces. Local river stone paving, timber structures, and permeable surfaces reduce environmental impact and construction costs. Flexible spatial design allows the district to accommodate both daily community activities and large game-day events, ensuring long-term financial viability while supporting Codroipo’s evolving social and urban fabric.

The proposal is not just spatial – it is also temporal and cultural. The flexible sports landscape ultimately transforms a fragmented district into an active CIVIC HEART!

Our proposal reimagines Codroipo’s main sports district as a unified and inclusive campus—transforming a series of fragmented facilities into a continuous civic landscape. Rather than functioning as isolated venues, the sports fields, gyms, and open spaces are reconnected into a legible and accessible system that links sport, education, ecology, and community life. The project positions the district as social infrastructure: a shared public realm where students, families, athletes, and elderly residents coexist and interact throughout the day.

A sustainable pedestrian and cycling network forms the backbone of the proposal. This elevated and ground-level promenade stitches together indoor and outdoor facilities while enhancing accessibility and safety. Instead of prescribing a single linear path, the network encourages exploration. Along its route, a series of community nodes emerge as social anchors—flexible spaces for rest, gathering, and informal activity. Shaded seating, communal tables, lightweight structures, and adaptable open areas support markets, small performances, spontaneous play, and everyday encounters. Movement becomes experience; circulation becomes participation.

The multipurpose gym acts as the civic heart of the campus. Designed for maximum flexibility, it dissolves the boundary between interior and exterior when opened, transforming into a community living room. The space accommodates sports competitions, public events, markets, and festivals with equal ease. Its architectural form rises gently from the terrain, integrating with the surrounding landscape and maintaining visual continuity with the adjacent park and stream corridor. This strategy minimizes environmental impact while reinforcing the relationship between built form and natural context.

Landscape interventions build upon the ecological value of the nearby stream and parklands. Soft banks, platforms, and informal gathering areas foster engagement with water while preserving ecological sensitivity. The campus edges become porous and inviting rather than closed and residual.

Beyond recreation, the campus is conceived as civic ground. It establishes a recognizable public heart for Codroipo—an everyday gathering place that supports collective identity and shared experience. The multipurpose gym, elevated promenade, and community nodes together frame a sequence of civic spaces that are open, visible, and welcoming. These spaces are not programmed solely for events, but structured to support informal encounters, seasonal celebrations, local markets, and community initiatives. In this way, the district becomes a platform for civic expression—where participation, visibility, and belonging are embedded in the spatial framework.

The site is currently defined by fragmentation and weak spatial relationships with its surrounding context. Despite its proximity to residential areas, public facilities, and open landscapes, the sports district functions as an inward-oriented enclave, disconnected from the everyday urban life around it. Rigid boundaries and the absence of a coherent public structure limit both accessibility and engagement.

The project responds to this condition by introducing The Spine as a connective urban framework that bridges the adjacent urban system with the internal logic of the sports district. Conceived as a linear armature, the spine becomes the project’s structural backbone, organizing movement, aligning programs, and transforming separation into continuity.

A strong directional axis runs across the site, structuring the sports district into a cohesive whole. Along this axis, the program is organized into two primary sports zones, accommodating a range of solid, clearly defined sports fields. These courts are conceived as stable and legible elements embedded within the urban structure, robust platforms for training, competition, and public use. Rather than operating as isolated objects, the fields are aligned and interconnected through the spine, forming a central and readable sports core that reinforces the identity of the district.

Toward the south-western edge, where the site meets the adjacent park, the project deliberately softens its spatial condition. Here, an urban forest is introduced to mediate between the disciplined geometry of the sports infrastructure and the more natural character of the landscape. This soft edge dissolves rigid boundaries through gradual transitions, filtered movement, and layered vegetation, allowing the site to open toward the park while maintaining internal coherence.

Beyond its organizational role, the spine is conceived as a linear spatial journey with a clear beginning and a defined end. The starting point is marked by the proposed gymnasium, developed through the rehabilitation and extension of the existing building, which acts as a tectonic and symbolic anchor for the intervention. From this point, the spine unfolds across the site, guiding movement through a rhythmic sequence of sports fields, entrances, gathering spaces, and service nodes.

The trajectory culminates in a deliberate juxtaposition between public and service spaces developed along the spine and the sports fields themselves. At this terminal point, the linear system is resolved through a dual spatial condition: a shaded public space formed beneath the structure, conceived as a place for gathering and pause, and the elevation of a football field above, transforming the end of the spine into a layered interface between movement, sport, and collective use.

Through continuity, rhythm, and spatial clarity, The Spine transforms the sports district into a connected, permeable, and legible urban system, one that integrates sport, landscape, and public life into a unified architectural framework.

L’intervento è notevolmente complesso e deve confrontarsi con una vasta area che partendo da un tessuto urbanizzato si estende fino al tessuto agricolo periurbano. Benché l’area oggetto d’intervento abbia una vocazione funzionale uniforme, quella sportivo/didattica, il tessuto di edifici esistenti risulta variegato e disordinato per impianto tipologico, orientamento ed immagine architettonica.

Il progetto nasce quindi con l’obiettivo di riqualificare e ricucire l’area realizzando da una parte nuovi edifici con la funzione di cerniera e ricucitura delle funzioni esistenti e dall’altra di creare collegamenti funzionali e visuali caratterizzati da un linguaggio architettonico uniforme con l’obiettivo di aggregare il contesto consentendo di percepire l’area intera come un unicum.

Entrambi gli edifici principali sono caratterizzati dal medesimo linguaggio architettonico fortemente riconoscibile.

Il reticolo strutturale esterno diventa l’elemento che generà uniformità di linguaggio e verrà utilizzato e riproposto lungo i percorsi di tutta l’area d’intervento, trasformandosi di volta in volta in pensiline, in recinzioni, elemento di protezione e struttura di sostegno delle passerelle: un vero e proprio landmark dell’intervento.

L’area A collocata all’interno del tessuto urbano maggiormente costruito diventa l’occasione per localizzare la nuova palestra polifunzionale e la piazza urbana su cui si affaccia; in una posizione centrale rispetto alle funzioni sportive esistenti diventando da un lato accesso alla zona sportiva e dell’altro elemento di cerniera e di ricucitura di tutte le funzioni sportive adiacenti. La piazza antistante diventa punto di ritrovo ed aggregazione. Dalla piazza si può accedere alla palestra ed a tutte le funzioni esistenti vicine. La piazza e la nuova palestra diventano il nuovo centro dell’intervento. La palestra polifunzionale oltre ad accogliere le principali discipline indoor (basket, pallavolo, calcetto, hockey, arti marziali, ginnastica) è progettata per essere facilmente riconvertita in uno spazio libero per ospitare spettacoli, esposizioni ed eventi culturali.

L’area B che si affaccia su via circonvallazione sud viene invece concepita come punto di ricucitura tra il tessuto urbano a nord dell’area e quello a maggior vocazione naturalistica localizzato a sud. Su quest’area sorgerà un nuovo Hub urbano/sportivo che ospiterà spazi di aggregazione civica ed attività educative e socioculturali al servizio della città. Uno spazio concepito su 2 livelli con la possibilità di accesso in copertura, un vero e proprio belvedere, sulla quale si possono organizzare eventi. Il parcheggio esistente in affaccio sulla circonvallazione sud verrà coperto creando sopra di esso una piazza sopraelevata che, diventando luogo di aggregazione e gioco, contribuisce alla ricucitura tra le attività sportive e scolastiche presenti a nord ed il nuovo parco urbano a sud in corrispondenza dell’area C.

L’area C, posizionata al confine con il tessuto agricolo diventerà un nuovo parco urbano attrezzato, con la presenza di ampi spazi a verde ed alberati, percorsi pedonali, aree giochi, pista da skate ed una grande piazza scavata e dotata di gradinate che diventerà una vera e propria arena all’aperto che potrà ospitare eventi, concerti, mercati e quant’altro richieda ampi spazi di aggregazione.

At the urban scale, the Codroipo Sports Hall is conceived as a landscape operation rather than a standalone object. The project is generated from circular geometries inscribed in plan, which structure the site and organize flows, access points, and public space hierarchies. These circles evolve volumetrically, transforming into differentiated built forms that respond to functional requirements while maintaining a coherent geometric language. The transition from pure planimetric geometry to articulated volume creates a dialogue between abstraction and contextual adaptation. The tree grid reinforces the circular logic, acting as a soft spatial framework that mediates between built mass and open ground. Vegetation becomes an urban device — defining thresholds, shading public areas, and dissolving the boundary between architecture and landscape. The intervention redefines the site as a civic clearing within the urban fabric of Codroipo, where geometry, greenery, and public space operate as a unified system rather than separate elements. The sports hall project in Codroipo explores the relationship between architecture, landscape, and collective identity. Rather than designing a singular, closed object, the building is conceived as an extension of the public ground — a civic platform that mediates between urban fabric and open territory.The volume is articulated through a clear structural logic, where the envelope expresses the internal spatial hierarchy. The main hall becomes the core of the composition, while secondary functions are layered around it, generating permeability and spatial gradients. Materiality and structure work together to create a robust yet contextual presence. The project balances monumentality with accessibility, aiming to transform the sports facility into a civic landmark rather than a purely functional container. The intervention prioritizes environmental awareness, daylight modulation, and constructive clarity, proposing a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional Italian sports hall as a social condenser for the community.

A New Spine for Codroipo’s Sports and Civic Future

THE CROSS-FIELD reimagines Codroipo’s Sport District as a unified and contemporary Active Landscape Campus, structured by one bold, defining gesture: the Cross-Field Spine. This continuous linear public realm reorganizes the entire district, connecting sports facilities, ecological systems, public plazas, and surrounding urban fabric into a cohesive and accessible civic landscape. More than a path, the Cross-Field Spine becomes the main civic armature –a space of movement, gathering, and daily life. As it traverses the site, it expands to form plazas, contracts into intimate passages, rises to create overlooks, and intersects with the existing fields. This flexibility enables the district to shift from a collection of isolated sports grounds into a connected sequence of active and social spaces.

Along the Cross-Field Spine, a network of Diffused Sports Plazas emerges: youth courts, fitness terraces, family play pockets, event lawns, and cultural stages. These nodes ensure daily activation throughout the year and support both informal and organized activities. The Spine’s clear and legible structure also improves navigation across the district, reinforcing safe pedestrian and cycling connections with Via Europa Unita, Via Friuli, Via Circonvallazione Sud, nearby schools, neighborhoods, and Durigat Park. Nature plays a central role in the transformation. The Cross-Field Spine intersects with blue–green systems, Roggia San Odorico, tree corridors, and ecological patches, creating shaded promenades, biodiversity pockets, and resilient landscapes capable of mitigating heat and supporting stormwater management. Materials and planting strategies prioritize low maintenance, native species, permeable surfaces, and climate adaptability.

Positioned at a strategic node aligned with the axis leading from the Cross-Field Spine, the new Multipurpose Gym is conceived as a civic beacon for sports and community life. While not directly intersecting the Spine, its placement reinforces spatial continuity through this primary movement sequence. The flexible interior accommodates basketball, volleyball, futsal, martial arts, and performances, while translucent facades and generous openings strengthen its relationship with the surrounding landscape. The gym functions not only as an indoor facility but as a landmark gathering space for the community. Universal accessibility is embedded throughout the design: barrier-free routes, tactile guidance, gentle gradients, and inclusive play elements ensure that the entire district is welcoming to all ages and abilities. A seasonal program calendar supports year-round activation—from summer concerts and autumn markets to winter light installations and school events.

Ultimately, THE CROSS-FIELD proposes a forward-looking vision for Codroipo: a connected, sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant Sport District where the Cross-Field Spine becomes the new axis of community life—a place where sports, nature, and people meet, every day of the year.

L’obiettivo del progetto è rafforzare l’identità e l’unità di questo luogo potenziando segni già presenti ed introducendo nuovi percorsi ed edifici che dovranno diventare luoghi maggiormente riconoscibili e capaci di promuovere la socializzazione della futura Codroipo e connettere i percorsi dalla città alla campagna.

I temi:

La figura ordinatrice dei percorsi e delle piazze:

Il progetto rafforza la figura centrale dell’area dove è situato il Palazzetto dello Sport e il percorso esistente che attraversa l’area in direzione est-ovest unendo le varie strutture sportive. Si è scelto di potenziare tale segno e di replicarlo con analogo percorso posto più a sud collegando anche la Tensostruttura Polivalente e la nuova Palestra Polifunzionale. Si viene così a formare una figura geometrica forte in grado di dare ordine ai percorsi che attraversano l’area e sulla quale insistono gli edifici e le attrezzature sportive.  Si realizzano due nuovi spazi aperti: il primo, pavimentato e fulcro centrale di tutto il sistema, è delimitato dal Palazzetto dello Sport (sul cui fronte est è prevista la realizzazione di un nuovo palco per eventi) e da un nuovo edificio con spogliatoi, servizi e chiosco; l’altro è lo spazio verde tra la Casa dello studente e la nuova palestra, in diretta relazione visiva e funzionale con i piani terra dei due edifici.

La Palestra Polivalente e la Casa dello Studente:

il progetto prevede la nuova Palestra Polivalente all’interno dell’area studio A, in diretta relazione con la Casa dello Studente – interessante edificio progettato dagli architetti Gresleri e Varnier – di cui si prevede la riqualificazione energetica e funzionale. Con questa scelta si vuole sottolineare un sistema urbano compatto verso est. Qui si prevede una ridefinizione del limite dell’area quasi a definire una “porta” per la zona sportiva. Si propone di demolire la rampa esistente dell’edificio esistente, ridefinire il parcheggio e inserire un nuovo elemento porticato che collega la palestra e la casa dello studente.

Gli attraversamenti dell’area:

oltre al rafforzamento degli assi est-ovest con riqualificazione dell’accesso est e la realizzazione di nuovi ponti sulla Roggia S. Odorico per un collegamento anche verso l’area residenziale ed il parco del Durigat, si confermano gli attraversamenti nord-sud, dal centro cittadino all’ambito ambientale delle Risorgive; si propone di rafforzare il percorso lungo la Roggia S. Odorico prolungandolo fino al Parco delle Risorgive ed all’area archeologica del Castelliere della Gradiscje. L’attraversamento di via Circonvallazione Sud viene risolto con un sovrappasso pedonale accessibile; il percorso resta in quota lambendo il limite del Parco delle Risorgive (passeggiata tra gli alberi) e ridiscende in prossimità del Castelliere protostorico, rafforzando qui il punto di ingresso al Parco. Si sviluppa così un tema interessante di collegamento-passeggiata dal centro della cittadina fino alle emergenze naturalistiche e storiche a sud dell’abitato. Questo percorso poi potrà continuare lambendo l’area studio C – che deve restare naturale – verso via Molini e Villa Manin di Passariano.

Si propone infine di collegare il nuovo portico a est della nuova palestra con un camminamento che raggiunge l’area studio B, che resta a servizio dell’Istituto Tecnico e del CAMP.

A park that isn’t really a park: a fragmented landscape

Today, the Codroipo sports district is a highly fragmented space, made up of numerous introverted sports facilities that function as isolated objects. What’s more, these facilities coexist with “academic islands” separated by fences, creating discontinuous spaces divided by schools. Finally, pockets of parking and the Circonvallazione Sud reinforce these divisions and limit the perception of a large, unified park.

Towards a Sport Park: a strip, a loop, a natural park, and open infrastructure

The project proposes to develop the sports field around a north-south strip that becomes a new structure. This strip is a gentle, continuous path that articulates and connects the various existing infrastructures. Along this path, “platforms” host various fields and activity areas that multiply the park’s uses. The buildings turn towards the sports strip by developing forecourts and creating new openings to increase interactions between interiors and exteriors.  The park connects on a larger scale, becoming a link between the historic city center and Parco Le Risorgive, and repositioning the city within the valley between the sea and the mountains. The park is thus extended along the river by planting a large number of trees to increase the contrast with the large central lawns. A path along the river doubles the strip and allows. visitors to make loops and move around the park without retracing their steps. East-west crossings strengthen links with the surrounding neighborhoods.  Parking spaces have been moved to the east of the site, all accessible from Via Friuli. This optimization of car access frees the rest of the park from traffic while remaining widely accessible. The Sport Park is open to a wide variety of uses, from approved activities requiring defined areas to more informal activities, leisure, relaxation, and walking. This park, open to all, is becoming a major feature of the city of Codroipo.

The Fun Palace: a multi-purpose hall in the heart of the park

We propose to install the multi-purpose hall in the center of the park, outside the sites proposed in the competition. This choice of location, right in the middle, strengthens the connection between north and south to unify the park. It creates a new façade on the Circonvallazione Sud, making events visible from this busy street. In addition, the hall uses an already artificial site (currently a parking lot) and preserves the agricultural land to the south.

A bridge and a hollow: a hall in the landscape

The hall is designed as a large bridge resting on the ends of the room. This Vierendel beam structure largely frees up the ground floor to allow for maximum transparency between the hall and the park. The sports strip runs through the building, making it a major feature of the park. The stands are dug into the ground to reinforce the continuity between the hall and the park. The large size of the beams creates a space to be occupied on the roof, which doubles the building with outdoor areas. The building fits in well with the park with its open, traversing floor, covered and modular volume, and inhabited bridge.

In Codroipo, sport is not an event — it is a shared habit. The proposal reimagines the Sports District as a seamless landscape of connected rings of daily activity, where movement, rest, cultivation, and encounter coexist without hierarchy. Rather than organizing space concentrically, the project establishes fluid gradients of intensity that allow different generations to inhabit the district simultaneously and comfortably.

At its energetic core, grassroots football becomes the social engine of the site. The fields are conceived not only for competition but as everyday training grounds that nurture local talent and collective pride. Informal courts, open lawns, and flexible gathering platforms interweave with formal facilities, supporting spontaneous play and daily use beyond scheduled matches.

The Threshold Gymnasium anchors this system as a civic extension of the park. Designed as a porous and adaptable structure, it operates as an indoor piazza — hosting sport, exhibitions, and community events. Architecturally, the aim is to blend into the Codroipo scene rather than stand out. Through restrained materials, warm textures, and a human-scaled profile, the building integrates with its surroundings, becoming a familiar presence within the landscape rather than an imposing landmark.

Water becomes a structuring element of daily life. The existing river edge is extended and reimagined to create slow riverside walking spaces that meander through the site. Gentle terraces, shaded paths, and seating steps form calm zones of reflection and social pause. Small food and beverage inclusions activate these edges, encouraging informal gathering throughout the day and into the evening. The riverside becomes a shared promenade — a place where training, strolling, and conversation unfold in parallel rhythms.

Organic farming areas are introduced as productive landscapes for athletes and citizens alike. These cultivated plots reinforce the agricultural identity of Friuli Venezia Giulia, linking nourishment, discipline, and care. Training the body and cultivating the land become complementary rituals embedded within the district.

Age-friendly spaces are fully integrated into this connected system. Bocce social courts, shaded seating gardens, and accessible walking loops provide dignified and comfortable environments for older residents, positioned alongside youth activities to foster intergenerational coexistence.

By dissolving fragmentation into continuity, the Sports District becomes a lived routine rather than a scheduled destination — a landscape citizens return to daily, where sport strengthens identity not through spectacle, but through repetition, belonging, and shared presence.