Prof. em Christophe Girot | Landscape Architecture
Alp Transit Switzerland
Alp Transit is creating a major tunnel to link the Lombardy region & Lugano to the north of Switzerland. In the forage process, 3.7 millions cubic meters of inert stone material will be removed from the Sotto Ceneri mountain range and be amassed at the Depot site. Facing directly a small village of Sigirino and 5 kilometers to the north of Lugano, the site abuts a natural preservation zone and is visible from the major highway and train lines that go from Switzerland to Milano.
Because of its sensitive location, the exceptionally large quantity of material to store and the commitment to preserve as best as possible the tourism and environmental qualities of the immediate surroundings, the client was interested in incorporating a landscaped vision to this project.
The faceted morphology and structure provides a system for water collection and for more comfortable paths. Due to the inert material that will form the depot, it is impossible to reproduce the existing natural vocabulary of the surroundings. One must redefine a new nature that will be capable to foster initial ground cover growth and trees. Edges of gabion will protect the most fragile species of plantations as well as maintaining a clean edge on the volume.
