La Rotonda, in San Gregorio, has long-been an iconic spot of the Salento Coast, the most south-eastern tip of the Italian peninsula. Former small fisherman village, it offers a dramatic view over the coastline and, with is western orientation, a privileged viewpoint for contemplating the sunset over the Mediterranean.
The new Rotonda is a place for rituals and celebration.
Car accessibility is finally prohibited, while the slight slope of the square is flattened, generating a grandstand on its northern edge. Singular furnishings are avoided in favor of a continuous sculptural landscape. The steps form a theatrical setting defining a plaza -a stage- useful for temporary programmatic activities -performances, while a line of tamarisks’ trees function as vegetal scenography.
La Rotonda becomes a place for celebrating the daily ritual of the sun plunging into the mist and sea, a space for action and contemplation.
Project Data
Lanscape Architecture: Openfabric
Location: San Gregorio, Italy
Client: Comune di Patù
Collaborators: Dario Russo Architetto, Giuseppe Grecuccio Engenering
Size: 1.200m²
Budget: 300.000 €
Design: 2015
Realized: 2023
