Architectural firm Foster + Partners presented designs last week for a new waterfront development in Rimini, Northern Italy. Revealed at a public presentation to the City, the scheme comprises a new seafront promenade and public spaces, including a hotel tower. The proposal is designed to strengthen the relationship between the town centre and the seafront, Foster + Partners said, and to create a year-round attraction for international tourists.
Architectural firm Foster + Partners presented designs last week for a new waterfront development in Rimini, Northern Italy. Revealed at a public presentation to the City, the scheme comprises a new seafront promenade and public spaces, including a hotel tower. The proposal is designed to strengthen the relationship between the town centre and the seafront, Foster + Partners said, and to create a year-round attraction for international tourists.
The waterfront will be car-free at certain times and will link directly to a public park. The new hotel tower will include space for a Fellini film museum. The scheme will use new technologies, such as rainwater collection and photo-voltaics, to establish a long-term, sustainable commercial and environmental strategy for the town balanced with its rejuvenation in the short-term.
Foster + Partners' Stefan Behling said: 'We are delighted to submit our proposal to reinvigorate the popular resort of Rimini. This is an exciting opportunity to unite the town with its seafront and to regenerate the public realm.'
Foster + Partners is vying with two other firms, including Italy's Gruppo Gecos, for the design of the redevelopment of Rimini's waterfront. Rimini's city council, chaired by mayor Alberto Ravaioli, is expected to select a project by the end of October 2008.
