Tabarca and Metelino

The redevelopment project of the “Darsena” is included in the ambitious plan of Genoa Municipality “Rigenerare Genova - Città Meravigliosa".  “The Darsena” in fact represents a strategic point of connection between the Old Port, the Old City Centre, the Maritime Station and some of the city’s main hubs.

The area offers a lot of daytime activities and services such as the Sea Museum, the Economics Faculty of the University of Genoa and several offices, but unfortunately it is poorly connected to the rest of the city due to the heavily trafficked roads.

Reconstitute a connection between the “Darsena” and the Old City Centre and recover the buildings that remain unfinished today, are indispensable actions for the re-appropriation of space by citizens and tourists.

National Innovative Program for the Quality of Living (PINQuA 100) of the Ministry of Sustainable Infrastructures and Mobility, includes the project for the redevelopment of two buildings which are close to the Sea Museum: Tabarca and Metelino.

In the future, a new multifunctional space is planned for these two buildings, dedicated to culture and living. Tabarca and Metelino together with the Prè area and the Old City Centre will represent a regenerated triangle.

The project provides for the direct connection between the Commenda di Prè and the Tabarca building, the latter connected by an existing walkway with the top floors of the Metelino.

The project will symbolically re-proposed a loggia similar to that of the Commenda, which will be transformed into a "bridge" to new public spaces such as the Urban Centre, the library and the Jeans Museum in order to favour continuity with the existing pedestrian and cycle path.

Due to its morphological characteristics, Genoa presents a verticalization of urban and agricultural spaces, which is the reason why multi-level squares and urban gardens have been planned on the roof of the buildings.

The intervention pursues the redevelopment of the entire Tabarca building and will affect the fourth, fifth floor and roof of the Metelino building: approximately 8,000 square meters of construction and approximately 4500 square meters of outdoor areas.

In the Tabarca building, we will proceed with the reconstruction of the roof, the facades and the construction of a covered loggia; the ground floor will be dedicated to commercial and restaurant activities such as the “Centro del Gusto Ligure”. Part of the first, second and third floors will be used as social housing for the youth in order to encourage generational change. A part of the first floor will be destined for the new Urban Centre.

For the Metelino building is planned the renovation of the roof and the creation, on the fourth and fifth floors, of spaces for coworking, offices and the new Jeans Museum (MUJ).