STEPPING STONE

The project addresses the fragmentation of the urban landscape through the design of a stepping stone: a small natural area conceived to bridge the discontinuities of ecological corridors.
A true point of passage, covering approximately 2,300 square metres between the Monte Mario hill and the bank of the Tiber River, it provides shelter and nourishment for local small wildlife.

With two thirds of the site dedicated to flowering meadow, the project also creates a distinctive visual landmark within the urban fabric, unfolding a succession of colours over more than three seasons. An attraction not only for birds and insects, but also for all those who move through this urban node.

Structuring the space, in addition to the two Ginkgo biloba, a large earthen landform of about 900 square metres rises from ground level. Its sinuous movements encourage the formation of natural basins for rainwater collection. This volume reads like a river in flood crossing the site, generating a landmark of strong visual impact.

In autumn, a purplish cloud emerges: more than two thousand Muhlenbergia capillaris plants, from which twelve chaste tree shrubs rise, bearing blue-violet flower spikes in late summer. A striking visual experience between September and November, when the colours of the meadow begin to soften and the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba ignite in a luminous golden yellow.