Walter Di Salvo. A pioneering project in Punta Ala (PREPRINT)

edited by

Alessandra Pelosi

Preprint & Open Source Edition (PDF format)

Walter Di Salvo A pioneering project in Punta Ala

edited by

Alessandra Pelosi Preprint & Open Source Edition (PDF format)

UNIVERSITAS STUDIORUM

Walter Di Salvo A pioneering project in Punta Ala Punta Ala (Grosseto, Italy), Centro espositivo Il Gualdo, July 31st - August 16th 2015.

Firenze, Complesso dell’ex Convento di Santa Verdiana DIDA - Dipartimento di Architettura, Università degli Studi di Firenze, February 12th - 29th 2016.

Catalogue edited by Alessandra Pelosi Contact: Alessandra Pelosi, alipes1@virgilio.it

© 2017, Universitas Studiorum S.r.l. - Casa Editrice | Publisher via Sottoriva, 9 46100 Mantova (MN), Italy P. IVA 02346110204 tel. (+39) 0376 1810639 http://www.universitas-studiorum.it info@universitas-studiorum.it

Cover: Punta Ala, by Richard Angiolini.

Urbanistic Plan for Punta Ala, by W. Di Salvo; “La Vela”; “La Bussola”; first works in Punta Ala; project sketches; Architect’s Studio (Archivio Walter Di Salvo); “Villa Rusconi-Quiriconi”, picture by Niccolò Brogelli.

Preprint & Open Source Edition (PDF), 2017

Walter Di Salvo

INDEX Giancarlo Farnetani Foreword Roberto Maestro Nature and architecture: contrast or cooperation Alessandra Pelosi Di Salvo’s plan for Punta Ala: a history Donatella Orlandi Today’s urban plan of Punta Ala Walter Di Salvo A consideration over the Organization Urban Plan Miriam Parricchi Associations that support territory

DOCUMENTS Playbill Punta Ala Brochure Punta Ala Playbill Firenze Exhibition Tables Alessandra Pelosi Intervista all’architetto Walter Di Salvo (in italian) (Reproduced from: Punta Ala Magazine, Summer 2015) A short biographical sketch of Architect Walter Di Salvo Bibliography on Walter Di Salvo The authors in brief Acknowledgements

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No house should ever be on a hill or on anything.

It should be of the hill.

Belonging to it.

Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other Frank Lloyd Wright, An Autobiography

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It’s a great pleasure for me to introduce this catalogue collecting the work of the architect Mr. Walter Di Salvo during his experience in the town of Punta Ala. A comprehensive collection showing in full details the projects and the works, both from an urban and a compositional point of view, of the architect: today’s aspect of Punta Ala is mostly and certainly the result of his commitment and the way he conceived the territory.

He was a visionary: Di Salvo was the first to show real project awareness, respecting the territory through the usage of architectural solutions with low environmental impact. It goes without saying that he wasn’t just a pioneer. He really knew this place, and therefore conveyed to his works added value deriving from a sensible evaluation of the surrounding environment, where the dualism between “man and environment” rises and, through a balanced compensation, find its dimension.

In a period in which saving the environment wasn’t that much important, Mr. Di salvo conveyed real value to the small town of Punta Ala, that became the ideal destination of well-educated and fun-loving tourists that love exclusivity and success.

My wish for this exhibition, therefore, is to see it displayed also in prestigious locations, with a large audience capable of appreciating a comprehensive and detailed collection of original and fresh projects, as the representation of the work of the architect Di Salvo and the beauty of Castiglione della Pescaia.

Giancarlo Farnetani Mayor, Castiglione della Pescaia

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Punta Ala (Ph. Giovanni Paolo Rabai, 2015).

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Roberto Maestro

Nature and architecture: contrast or cooperation

I would like to thank the promoters of this meeting for involving in the presentation of some aspects of the project-making process, but most of all for giving the opportunity to talk about the projects of Punta Ala. Of course Walter Di Salvo would have been the perfect person to do this, he never abandoned this project: he was always here despite his passion for travelling. Of all the architects that worked at this project Di Salvo was the one that ensured the ‘continuity of the ideas’, without which a project doesn’t become a real place in which it’s possible to live (well).

It is certain that a project, during its realization, is constantly refined in order to remove mistakes (this occurs also after the end of its realization), but again the continuity ensures its success.

Let’s talk about Punta Ala. Under many aspects and registers. We can quote those who wanted Punta Ala to remain that unspoiled kingdom of nature (which probably never was).

Or we can talk like those who are proud to have contributed to build one the most beautiful holiday centres in Italy. I don’t want to belong to any of those parties.

When I worked with Ludovico Quaroni at the realization of the Gualdo, I had the impression that everything went wrong.

Today it feels like when somebody commits a crime, then he returns to the crime scene. He realizes that the person he had killed is feeling now better than ever. It seldom happens.

Walter, having decided to live here, despite his love for Firenze, he understood better than everybody else the best way to operate in a place like Punta Ala. He understood that buildings and nature are not necessarily opponents. Especially when the architect uses intelligence and his crafts and he tries to understand the formal aspects that are given by the knowledge of the places and their nature, and doesn’t try, on the contrary, only to put an object, using his style (which is recognizable), just like a fashion stylist would do, being proud of the fact that the clothes worn by a woman of the “world of the greatest” can be easily recognised as a product of his maison.

There are few left of the architects-friends of my generation now: we’re so old, that there’s the risk of being brought into fashion again. I’m not talking about the style of the years of our youth (it would be a disaster). I’m talking about the values and the ideas that lead the work of our masters. I’m thinking of Frank Lloyd Wright, for example, and of that group of architects, Italians too, that refer to the so-called organic architecture. In occasion of the

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national holidays we got used to exchange greeting cards. Adolfo Natalini sent me once a card with the picture of a project of his with the motto ‘Only sharp architecture lasts’, proud of the sharpness of his works.

I replied with a counter-motto that said ‘Only living architecture lives’.

I hope I can show you how the architecture of Di Salvo still lingers on. But let first make a point quite straight: architecture is not made up of living organic matter, it is made up of bricks, wooden, stone, reinforced concrete.

When I say living, I mean that it is lived by the people that feel architecture like a suit in which they feel themselves at ease, and that gives their personality something more.

When architecture isn’t lived, then it becomes a shell, beautiful, which however is just a skeleton without a fish.

Living means also that it is not a foreign body toward the environment surrounding it, because it is capable of integration, it creates a living environment that, therefore, keeps changing.

We must consider this in order to judge if what we made in the past is right or wrong.

Sometimes I compare my work with the work of nature, in other words I wonder if God, too, plans in order to create that extraordinary masterpiece which is formed by infinite formal aspects that constitute the world surrounding us.

Please, let me make this straight again: God is intended as a metaphorical entity, as the leading part in the creation, that gives birth to everything that is natural.

The architect Louis Kahn said, many years ago in Firenze, that he understood the sense of Architecture by seeing the pyramid emerging from the desert. Nature is God’s work, but geometry, which is the purest creation of the spirit, is man’s kingdom. I would like to express some doubts on this sentence. Even God, or if you want Nature, plays with geometry. We can play here as equals.

Different is win the game. Marsia challenged Apollo in the art of Music, and we all know how it ended. Israel is the name of a Patriarch and it means ‘he, who fought against God’, so not Khomeini’s definition of ‘soldier of God’, but meaning a person that fought against an angel, sent by God, to prevent him to trespass a river. A story full of mysterious meanings.

These kind of stories are full with disobedience, which is always cause of tragedies. Just think of Adam.

Like in those stories, we try with our humble weapons (a pencil) to invent shapes, similar to those invented by nature in millions of years.

The shells that we collect from the beach are houses too, houses that grow together with their inhabitants. Our works don’t possess that extraordinary quality, life. We lose before starting, and it’s no use to try and use magic words: The Golem remains motionless, and so architecture doesn’t grow around its inhabitant. It can adapt.

The architectural shell of the man cannot grow, but cities can. They grow and transform.

Giovanni Michelucci said that a city that doesn’t transform, it’s a dead city. Can learn from nature the ways it uses to adapt and survive to the events,

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even the strongest? I’m thinking, for example, of the events caused by men, but also to those caused by nature as well.

We’ve realized, now more than ever, how it’s important, for the health of everybody, that what is built by the man must be guided by the intelligence and the knowledge of things and experience.

And in addition, by the analysis of the mistakes that have been made by us.

I’m thinking of the squalid outskirts of many cities, that became larger amassing houses with no qualities, in which it’s difficult to spot an idea or some guidelines of their form.

Our memory is extremely short. In order to detect the aspect of a city a hundred years ago, we need pictures or documents that people before us left.

What was the look of the centre of Firenze after the war? What was the look of the Maremma before the Reform of the Agriculture? What’s vanished forever, and what’s survived? Where did we go wring in these years and what did we do well?

But, above all, what can we learn for the next future? To go deep into the history of the projects and of the changes of the territory of Punta Ala could be helpful for all of us: architects, administrators, or simple citizens.

To the future scholars and researchers (I’m too old), I say: always judge things keeping away from controversies. We lost many things of course. But we gain many others in exchange.

In these 50 years, in which I’ve directly observed, the growth and the development of these places, I’ve learnt that forces of nature, if they are guidStudio Di Salvo (Ph. Ciro Maestro, 2015).

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Studio Di Salvo (Ph. Ciro Maestro, 2015).

ed by the man, can give back beauty to the places that seemed to have lost it forever.

The only true enemy that must be defeated is abandon.

An illness manifesting in the most insidious ways, just like when a luxury business replaces a humbler one, which is however necessary to support everyday life of the inhabitants: if this is true for

historical centres, try and imagine how key can be for new centres that have to build not only their architectures but also human relations and habits, without which a city becomes soon only a stack of houses.

When we stop building houses, the companies responsible for the order of streets and public gardens stop working and everything decades. It’s

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not easy for local administrations to maintain the order in a city, which lives just for 2 months every year.

Things would change if something were made to favour stable settlements of people actively working there.

But houses cost too much, supermarkets become mere windows exhibiting objects with ridiculous prices that nobody purchase.

Even antique cities become ‘window-cities’. I know very little of economics, but I think it’s all a question of advertising. People purchase somewhere else (probably Internet?).

A friend of mine, who lives in the centre of Roma, once told me that he must drive for kilometers in order to find a bakery.

Somebody (not me) wrote in big letters on a wall just under my study ‘no to window-cities’. That was first I ever agreed with these hideous wall-writers. It’s sad to see these big shops full with ghostly dummies, and nervous saleswomen walking around.

Some years ago, during an exhibition of some of my designs of Punta Ala, 50 years after the projects were made, I wrote that I hoped that nature could take its place back.

Today, I think that nature and architecture can and must live in a relationship of mutual cooperation. I was trying to understand which of the two opponents was, apart from the appearances, the weakest, the one that had to be defended.

Architecture cannot be confined in museums. It must be exposed to bad weather conditions, and

to insults as well.

To ruin it, you only to find an idiot a spray-paint bottle in the hand. I’m used to think on the other hand that trees must survive to men.

I came to this staring at the centuries-old olive trees in our countryside.

This morning I learnt that during last night a great pine next to my house went down. It slowly leant onto a pillar, hitting the capital with no major damages to the house.

This was one of the many giants of the nature that gives beauty to our places. It wasn’t ill.

It was discovered afterwards that the roots weren’t insufficient to bear that impressive structure of branches. That tree was just 60 years old. I counted the rings, once they sew it.

And to be honest I remember it, because it was planted 50 years ago when we were planning the Gualdo.

I have been with Walter to visit some of the houses that he designed more than 30 years ago at the Poggio delle Mandrie: one of the areas of Punta Ala that were directly coordinated by Quaroni (the other one was the Gualdo).

Antonio Quistelli worked there following a method of composition of pre-designed pieces in his study in via Nizza in Roma.

A system that was based on the motto ‘maximum result, through minimum effort’.

The prject that was elaborated for Poggio delle Mandrie consisted in a one-way street that formed a ring that touched a series of houses on both sides of the street.

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That plan was very simple and was completed by some architectural details that gave to the whole.

For example, the compulsory use of the local stone, the roofs had to be built using the same tiles, and so on. Those directions were maintained for more than 30 years and that ensured unity.

The architects that designed the houses had to respect those rules. It’s anyway clear that those rules granted the success of the project.

For example, at the Gualdo it was the square shaped house that held the whole composition.

The architect, the author of the executive project

could vary only the internal disposition of the single houses that were organized in settlements of about 12 apartments.

Anyway, in both cases success was granted by the continuity of ideas, that is to say the respect of the rules. Walter says that domestic pines die because they’re old, when they are 100 years old.

The same thing happened to a pine that he had next to his study.

They’re programmed, just like us. And maybe like us they share our weaknesses and our faith.

Studio Di Salvo (Ph. Ciro Maestro, 2015).

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Villa Rusconi-Quiriconi (Ph. Niccolò Brogelli, 2015).

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Punta Ala (Archivio W. Di Salvo, 1959).

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Alessandra Pelosi

Di Salvo’s plan for Punta Ala: a history

An entire exhibition dedicated to the work of Walter Di Salvo in Punta Ala. This is not only an accolade for the highest concentration of works of the famous architect, but mostly because, through his work, he radically designed and realized the urban planning of Punta Ala. The exhibition is transferred in Firenze, the city where Di Salvo was born in 19261.

The intention is to focus the attention on the revolutionary aspects of the project of Punta Ala: how it fashioned the surrounding panorama, from the initial designs, to the following general urban plans and detailed projects of famous architects and University professors.

The territory evolves and changes through technical designs, like those regarding the water supply, novelties like the night club La Vela, and finally

other sector-projects, with the aim of giving Punta Ala a uniform aspect, in which sports and leisure centres become predominant.

At the of the 50s together with the economic growth, many businessmen focus the attention on the development of the tourism in Italy, with the aim of exploiting several uncontaminated areas, as it happened in Maremma2.

In 1959 the company S.p.A. Punta Ala involved Ilio Giasolli3, secretary of Donat Cattin4, in order to develop a prestigious real estate enterprise.

The perfect occasion for Punta Ala that presented already the necessary features such the beauty of the landscape, the ideal geographical position and good access points.

The area, almost unknown, was historically owned 2. See A. Pelosi, “QCR”, n. 3-4, 2015, cit.; Id., Punta Ala. Piano di sviluppo per un turismo elitario negli anni Sessanta, Summer 2015, Orizzonti srl, 2015, pp. 90-93.

3. I. Giasolli, deputee from D.C. Party, manager, secretary of Donat Cattin.

4. C. Donat Cattin (Finale Ligure, 26 June 1919 - Monte Carlo, 17 March 1991) was an italian trade unionist and politician, a leader of D.C. Party and of its left-wing current called “Forze nuove”. See W. Di Salvo. Cronaca storico-tecnica dell’intervento, in E. Zetti, Punta Ala. I fatti, le vicende, i personaggi che ne hanno fatto la storia dagli etruschi ai nostri giorni, 1991 (1 ed.), 1998 (2 ed.), pp. 95-104.

1. See A. Pelosi, “QCR”, n. 3-4, 2015 (y. XXXV, i. 123), p. 172. About Florence: he projected the shop gallery of Railway Station of Santa Maria Novella. Many of his ideas were not realized: a project for Parco Argin Grosso, dated 1983; a public park for children, with a circus and a telescope at Isolotto, dating 1983 as well; a project for a Primary School in Pontassieve, in 1985; the suggestions for planning in Le Piagge, dated 1985; parking slots for Rifredi Railway Station, in 1985. Then, in 1987, he was created member of the group “Adi Firenze”, amongst other Fiat project-makers for Novoli Project, in Florence.

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The old road heading to Punta Ala (Archivio W. Di Salvo, 1959).

by the family Balbo, that sold it to the businessman Costantino Lentati, with the aim of building an important seaside touristic complex.

The realization of the project was however considerably expensive and therefore Lentati decided to sell the lands to a political-industrial group: S.p.A Punta Ala. Being the project a demanding urban plan, the group thought it was worth to involve a technical office well linked with the local authorities in Toscana.

As a result, Ilio Giasolli, CEO of S.p.A. Punta Ala and a person known for his managing skills, involves the technical office Savonarola, office of Firenze, which was directed by the eng. Valdemaro Barbetta5.

Walter di Salvo got to know him by chance in 19576, just when the Savonarola technical office is requested to realize an important project regard-

ing the touristic development of the city of Punta Ala, in Maremma.

Barbetta decided to appoint a young Di Salvo in order to follow the project until the approval of the local authorities. Di Salvo understands soon that Punta Ala can be his great opportunity7.

Di Salvo once told me8: […] luckily at that time the studio Savonarola employed only surveyors, not a single architect. It was easy of course for me to become known in the studio, and one day Barbetta asked me to visit the city of Punta Ala and, afterwards, prepare an urban plan to be presented to the principals and the authorities.

7. Di Salvo accepts the not easy task, and meanwhile he becomes a project manager for the whole plan.

8. Meetings with Walter Di Salvo took place at his Villa in Punta Ala (Grosseto), a mansion which is under safeguard of “Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e per il Paesaggio per le province di Arezzo, Grosseto e Siena” and by “Direzione Generale per l’Architettura Contemporanea (DARC) del Ministero per i Beni Culturali di Roma (MiBACT)”. This house always moves me to very various emotions. As a matter of facts, Villa Di Salvo was choosen by MiBACT as an excellence in XX Century Architecture in Toscana. The Villa reflects Architect Di Salvo’s character, well-mannered and kind, humble but perfectly aware of his own capacity. A house really full of memories.

5. V. Barbetta, born in Florence in a simply family, early becomes the favourite technician of city’s aristocracy. Amongs his customers: the Earl Bernardo and Cristina Rucellai, the Niccolini, the Antinori, the Bargagli, the Salviati and the Rasponi delle Teste.

6. Thanks to Barbetta, Di Salvo during the spring 1959 meets Ilio Giasolli, a young accountant from Turin.

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In a few months Di Salvo had to familiarize himself with the place9, design the general plan in scale 1:5000, prepare the necessary documentation for the authorities of Castigilione della Pescaia and Siena and start the realization works.

In 1959 the aspect of Punta Ala is still quite ‘savage’ and there lived but a few families. Buildings were few: the castle of Torre Hidalgo, the Observatory of the Italian Navy, the barracks of the corps of Guardia di Finanza, the Casone (the old barn) that slowly becomes the headquarter of the company, one sole unpaved access road named Doganale, 6 km long10.

Here’s what Di Salvo reports: Soon I realized that difficulties would have been many; there was a swamp all over the place, including the port, which it goes without saying, didn’t exist. There were no detailed maps whatsoever, just the State properties were reported […]. The only access road to the estate of Punta Ala was the Doganale, which was unpaved and full of holes and big rocks on the way… my poor Fiat 60011!

Through the analysis of the few existing maps and several visits on the spot, Di Salvo comprehends the strong points of the territory12 and soon understands that, in order to serve best the needs of the 11. Ibidem.

12. Di Salvo, at the time, could only show a four-years professinal experience, and none in urbanistics at all.

9. Di Salvo had never visited Maremma before.

10. See: W. Di Salvo. Cronaca storico-tecnica..., cit.

Vegetation, study and survey, “Tenuta ex Balbo” in Punta Ala, 1:5000 (Archivio W. Di Salvo, 1959).

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tourists, a uniform plan was needed. He designs a matrix for every development plan and prepares a general plan in scale 1:5000.

The project is therefore composed of one uniform matrix with the aim of forecast as much as possible everything that was necessary in order to live in a holiday and leisure centre, and meet all the customers’ requirements.

The project13 is made up of a central axis that starts from the entrance of the access road and leads to the Balbo port14.

The road then leads back to the foot of the hill, in order not to occupy the flat area between the central axis and the sea, creating a perfect balance between the two building areas.

There is, therefore, the possibility for the vehicles to circulate almost everywhere, allowing the big flat area to be used as a green space, and also for sports facilities (polo and tennis courses), and as a filter between the building area and the seaside belt.

Once the central axis is designed, Di Salvo conceives it separated from the buildings areas, in order to convey to the people driving it an endlessly shade of green.

Every street is equipped with walkways and cycle paths15. From the principal roads secondary roads link other external settlements.

He adapts a circular form, whereas he chooses to realize some linking rings for the hilly territory, that once they reach the building area link to the principal road again.

As for the flat areas he implements just a few routes, in order to give floor again to the green area between roads and the houses.

All the building areas (Scoglietto, Poggettone, Poggio del Barbiere, la Molletta, il Pozzino and il Fornino) are circular.

Pian d’Alma is equipped with wells for the water supply, which are linked through a duct directly to Punta Ala. The distribution network supplies all the building areas with water.

The general plan, which is prepared by Di Salvo and then signed by Barbetta is approved by the authorities of Siena and Grosseto (Soprintendenza16 ai Monumenti e alle Gallerie per le provincie di Siena e Grosseto), and then also of Castiglione della Pescaia (Commissione Edilizia17, and Consiglio Comunale18).

13. Two main alternatives were possible: following previous road, heading to the sea, and opening it in a “pecten” way; or, going back to the hills, and thus leaving a large plain area amongst main axis and the sea, giving the two parts the same architectural weight. Second hypothesis was more attractive, because it allowed car traffic to reach all the areas and, at the same time, it created a huge green zone, also for sporting issues, and as a filter between villas, houses, and the sea coast.

14. The small port area, at the heading of the peninsula, was already built by order of Italo Balbo, for his pleasure walks, during the years when he was operating there with his seaplanes team.

15. Cycle paths and many foot paths were never constructed, mainly for spending concerns.

16. General Plan is officially approved by Soprintendenza ai Monumenti e alle Gallerie per le provincie di Siena e Grosseto on 7 April 1960.

17. The Plan is then approved by Commissione Edilizia on 3 May 1960.

18. Approved by Consiglio Comunale, with the enclosed convention, on 19 June 1960.

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General Plan as approved, with its parts, 1:5000 (Archivio W. Di Salvo, 1960).

In 1961 the new Company acquires from the family Barzellotti the triangular piece of land named Valle dell’Omomorto. In 1961 Di Salvo asks the architect Francesco Paolo Piemontese20 to work in Punta Ala, and the same year he becomes director of the technical office of the company Punta Ala. After that Di Salvo plans a new project, which includes the new territory of the Barzellotti family.

Once again the plan is signed by Barbetta.

Soon after that the church of the Consolata21 is opened, whereas in 1962 it’s the turn of the hotel

The city is built on the base of an agreement which is undersigned in 196019 between the local authority of Punta Ala and the company S.p.A. Punta Ala, which owns the lands.

The company is responsible for the direct trade of the allotments, the realization of the works and the appointment of many professionals such as engineers, architects, surveyors, and so on.

On the first of August 1960 there’s the opening of the Night Club La Vela, which is designed and realized in three months by Di Salvo who reports: [...] for it was my real professional achievement; it wasn’t just a seaside tourism centre, it was a complete novelty and a model for any other similar undertaking.

20. Di Salvo and Piemontese worked side by side at some note-worthy projects, such as the church Signora della Consolata and the Hotel Gallia Palace.

21. See: Itinerari di architettura contemporanea. Grosseto e provincia, ed. by M. Del Francia, G. Tombari, B. Catalani, Edizioni ETS, Pisa 2011.

19. Municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia, as signed by Mayor Otello Carresi, on 16 July 1960.

21

Walter Di Salvo Old Land Register map (Archivio W. Di Salvo).

Gallia Palace22, project of Di Salvo and Piemontese, and the Golf Hotel.

During this period, misunderstandings between Barbetta23 and the company Punta Ala lead to an

end of the business relationship between Barbetta and Giasolli, who asks Di Salvo to take over the planning works.

CEO of Punta Ala S.p.A., which was holding the property we are talking about, was Giasolli, a single-minded and determined man. As a result of the not good relations amongst Barbetta and Giasolli, Barbetta’s role in the project was then cancelled24.

22. After he stopped working woth Piemontese, Di Salvo signed many projects in Maremma, and in Florence as well, along with Architect Giorgio Bonsanti.

23. Barbetta, with Architect Bruno Martini, in Comparto il Pozzino builds Villa Martinelli, then Alitot (1963 ca.). See: Nella pineta di Punta Ala, in “Ville-Giardini”, March 1968, pp. 11-20.

24. See A. Pelosi, Punta Ala. Intervista all’architetto Walter Di Salvo,

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Walter Di Salvo Graphic reconstruction, register map, road system sketch (Comune di Castiglione della Pescaia).

balance between the building and the surrounding natural environment.

Di Salvo designs the urban plan of detailed areas of: Molletta, Pozzino, Scoglietto, Poggettone, Fornino and Poggio del Barbiere.

The access road coming from Pian d’Alma is renewed and at the same time a new main road is designed and realized, leading to the port.

Now Di Salvo plans and signs, at the age of 33, the first touristic settlement of Punta Ala. In order to finish the project Di Salvo shows full dedication and quick planning abilities.

He completely re-build the city: from the urban plan, to the distribution of the allotments, the realization of the villas, always keeping the correct in Punta Ala Magazine, Summer 2015, Orizzonti srl, 2015, p. 44.

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After that Di Salvo works at the road system of Molletta, Pozzino, Fornino and Scoglietto25.

The elaboration of the executive plans is realized was realized in a building that became the hotel Alleluja. Here’s Di Salvo experience:

versity of Firenze and Roma, tin order to add modifications to the plan of Barbetta: such modifications were necessary to adapt the plan to the new economic background, which didn’t request the presence of many isolated villas, but also to put an end to some controversies of the press and other ‘green’ associations29.

Quaroni presents the project together with the architects Vito Sonzogni30 and his cooperators Roberto Maestro31 (responsible for the project), Gabriella Esposito and. Silvia Paoli. The group presents a different organization of the building, without changing the urban plan, that remains the one designed by Di Salvo.

The main idea of Quaroni is to change the project of the Gualdo, in order to turn it into a Mediterranean quarter: houses with 1 or 2 floors, built in groups of 12 apartments that face a small square.

[...] There was no electricity and we had to use acetylene lamps.

Afterwards, after the power line was realized, the company Punta Ala moves to a bigger bilding, an old barn, in Piazza della Molletta, its today’s headquarter. [...] today’s lawn was once a swamp. It was necessary to drain the water and add consistent amount of earth in order to create a solid base, that soon after became a polo course and hosts today 4 tennis courses.

In 1962 the architect Ignazio Gardella26 presents the project of the Port.

In the same year the Company27 involves Ludovico Quaroni28, professor for urban sciences at the uni-

banist, architect, writer, and academic professor and researcher.

After 2nd World War, he is a member of APAO (“Associazione per l’architettura organica”, Association for Organic Architecture), founded by Bruno Zevi in 1945. See M. Tafuri, Ludovico Quaroni e lo sviluppo dell’architettura moderna in Italia, Ed. Comunità, Milano 1964, pp. 159-169.

29. We can consider the building in Il Gualdo area, which is called “Delfino”, and which shows an influence form Le Corbusier.

30. Amongst those people who came to Punta Ala from Bergamo, in Nothern Italy, we also find a strong and determined architect, Vito Sonzogni. He notices that the plan contemplates lots for single-family villas in many of its areas, and he suggest to create also some areas for small condominium-blocks as well. Thus, a much larger market could be reached.

31. See R. Maestro, Un luogo chiamato Gualdo, in L’architettura delle città, The Journal of Scientic Society L. Quaroni, n. 1-2, 2013, Ed. Nuova Cultura, pp. 103-114.

25. Originary plan, from the coast towards the main land, reckons on a first area for sea-side sport activities, a pedestrian path, a large sport area in the plane greens over coast pine woods (with polo field, horsing and sporting facilities), and, finally, more closed to the hills, the area devoted to hotels, villas and private houses.

26. I. Gardella (Milan, 30 March 1905 - Oleggio, 15 March 1999), architect, egnigeer, and designer. University professor since 1962. He received many acknowledgments, as “Premio Nazionale “Olivetti” per l’Architettura” (1955), and “Leone d’Oro alla carriera” (Mostra Internazionale d’Architettura, Venice, 1996).

27. Main goal of Punta Ala Company was to create two main building clusters, for a total of 400.000 square mt., in Gualdo and Porto areas; these buildings were thought as the most notable of the whole project.

28. L. Quaroni (Rome, 28 March 1911 - Rome, 22 July 1987), ur-

24

Walter Di Salvo

First works on the territory (Archivio W. Di Salvo).

The aim is to convey the will of sharing everyday life. In 1963 Quaroni reviews the existing general plan32 and receives the approval of the local authority responsible Iacchia33.

In 1964 the local authorities of Punta Ala and the company sign an agreement implementation34. In nicipality, nor the Soprintendenza had enough skilled and experienced technicals to foresee the result of that, in terms of building areas percentage. The Punta Ala Company and the “Amministrazione Comunale di Castiglione della Pescaia� finally signed the convention.

34. Punta Ala Company, as stated in 1999, has to build and manage streets, parking areas, water plans, drains, gas and electricity nets, and depuration plant, and sport facilities: polo field, riding

32. Urbanist plan is signed by prof. arch. Ludovico Quaroni on 29 July 1963, and then approved by Soprintendenza di Siena e Grosseto on 2 January 1964.

33. First Di Salvo’s Plan contemplated, on a land of ca. 1000 ha, a great edificated area; as a matter of facts, neither the Mu-

25

Walter Di Salvo

General plan, with single areas, 1:5000 (Archivio W. Di Salvo).

1965 the company sells the remaining property to Italimmobiliare, which was part of the group Italcementi35.

The project of the Gualdo, following Quaroni’s instructions, is appointed to Maestro, as it happened with Poggio delle Mandrie, which was appointed to the architect Antonio Quistelli.

Final project is finished in 1969 and signed by Ludovico Quaroni, Roberto Maestro and Francesco Paolo Piemontese who is responsible for the whole realization36. In 1978 the authority of Castiglione della Pescaia produces the new land use plan37, 36. Housing areas are built in different moments. Only for Poggio le Mandrie and for Gualdo areas, detailed guide-lines for villas and houses were provided; as a result, Walter Di Salvo and the other architects were free to create unique projects and works, which are fully integrated with the environment.

37. In 1978 the Plan is not already fulfilled, for some areas beyond the main road.

school, golf course and golf club house, and turistic harbor. The same Company sells building lots to the customers.

35. Piano di sviluppo turistico di Punta Ala 1961-63, in “Casabella Continuità”, n. 285, 1964, pp. 33-43.

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Walter Di Salvo

that verify that state of the works at Punta Ala38.

In 1990 Francesco Paolo Piemontese and Vittorio Umberto Betti design the Renaione and afterwards others architects will work at plan in order to build new units or to adapt projects to the requirements of the people living there, without changing anyway the general project.

The idea that Di Salvo had in 1959 of building areas immersed in green spaces and punctuated by roads that followed the aspect of the land, as well as the creation of roundabouts (first example in Maremma), was the law to follow. After many years the scheme of the road system is still clear and people using those roads get the idea of driving and visiting a big green park.

38. “B Zones�, not yet accomplished, were: Poggio le Mandrie, Scoglietto, Porto, Gualdo etc.

La Vela and the first buildings in Punta Ala (Archivio W. Di Salvo).

27

Present day images (Comune di Castiglione della Pescaia, 2014).

Walter Di Salvo

Donatella Orlandi

Today’s urban plan of Punta Ala

requirements and the needs of the territory and the customers as well.

Punta Ala was first of all realized on the base of a uniform project that planned everything that was necessary to obtain a holiday, leisure and sports centre, capable of meeting everybody’s requirements.

Moreover, the fact that the person who planned and realized the works, the architect Di Salvo, is still living in Punta Ala, ensured that the development of the main project respected that uniformity that was the core of the project at the beginning. T oday’s urban plan, after 50 years from the beginning of the realization works, is trying to reach two goals: on the one hand, it’s important to follow give value to the original plan, on the other hand it’s equally important to give new life to this city, that, otherwise, is actively lived only during summer holidays (July and August).

Next paragraphs will try to clarify the above mentioned concepts, starting from the original plan, through the changes of the 80s, to nowadays projects.

It’s a great pleasure for me to accept this invitation, firstly to speak at the opening day of the exhibition dedicated to the work of the architect Di Salvo in Punta Ala, and now, to report my speech in this very catalogue.

I’ve been working at the technical office of the Municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia since 1994 in many different positions and I won’t hide the fact that the presence of Punta Ala, as part of the territory I would have had to follow, pushed me to participate to the public selection in those years.

During my experience I have been able to appreciate the success of the project Punta Ala, which have been determined mostly by three aspects: i. The extraordinary natural beauty of the vegetation that grows limitless and without any need of specific treatment; ii. Punta Ala is an empty city which have been built by only one businessman that wanted to realize and maintain, from the beginning until the year 1999, all the urban works that were necessary for the living standards of the city; iii. An urban/real estate that perfectly mirrored the

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Walter Di Salvo

The original urban plan The city of Punta Ala was built in the 60s on the base of an agreement between the Municipality and the company Punta Ala, which was the owner of the lands, plus an integration agreement, signed in 1964.

The company is responsible, on the base of a uniform urban plan attached to the agreement, for the realization and the management of the plants of the city, until 1999.

Punta Ala, although a very large city, was born from the idea of only one businessman, who fell in love with the beauty of the places and wanted to create with this project a place for those who desired to spend a holiday in a seaside city, which was however isolated and calm, with the possibility, moreover, to practice many different sports activities, such as: sailing, golf, polo, equitation, tennis.

(for seaside complexes, sports and leisure facilities) remained public.

The areas dedicated to the hotel facilities are classified as F areas, and dedicated to general services.

The areas north to the main road are reduced to a unique area under the classification CT012, where three different areas of touristic and residential expansion were planned.

These areas, which at the beginning had a total volume of 100,000 cm (cubic meter) for residential purposes, wouldn’t have been approved, and of course, realized.

The GUOP appointed on the other hand another building area under the classification number CT066 Renaione. This territory wasn’t property of the company Punta Ala, and will be realized at the beginning of the 90s.

This organization plan has remained in force for thirty years, when in 2014 the new urban regulation plan was approved.

The general urban organization plan of 1978 When in 1978 the Municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia prepares the new General Urban Organization Plan, the urban Plan of Punta Ala still had to be finished in some parts of the main project.

The plan has the aim of giving the big picture of the state of the works of the city.

The B areas, those which had to be completed, were the areas that received already the approval from the authorities (Poggio Le Mandrie, Scoglietto, Port, Gualdo and so on).

The green spaces internal to the urban areas and the belt between the coast and the building areas

Realization status of the general organization urban plan: criteria and concepts.

Before we proceed to the description of the current urban plan, I would like to talk about the results of the urbanization process, which represented the beginning core of the new plan.

The idea of the city where it’s possible to spend a holiday in contact with the nature and practicing sports, away from the chaos of the ‘traditional’ seaside centres, worked, in my opinion, really well.

The functionality and the beauty of the port, the

30

Walter Di Salvo

Present day images (Comune di Castiglione della Pescaia. 2014).

golf course and the seaside complex are clear to everybody.

These are conveyed by the coexistence of the natural environment together with the climate conditions, the geographical position and a uniform urban plan that was developed with high quality features with regards to the urban concepts and the infrastructures realized.

Moreover I do think that the fact that the company, which was originally the owner of the territory and had the idea of building the city, maintained the property and the whole works management until 1999, on the one hand limited the private initiative of the owners of the allotments with regards to the urbanization works (drinkable water, industrial hydric system, waste disposal system, public traffic

31

Walter Di Salvo

system, public light system), on the other hand ensured however that all plants were maintained perfectly functioning together with continuous changes of the technologies and the market.

Just think of the osmosis plants to make drinkable the water taken from private wells, the tertiary management of the water coming from the depurator (with consequent usage for agricultural purposes), the network of water for industrial purposes, for which non-drinkable water was used.

This situation, as mentioned, continued until the year 1999, when company Punta Ala, once it fulfilled the project Punta Ala, reached an agreement with the Municipality for the management to other subjects of the urbanization projects.

At that time, I was responsible for the LL.PP. office at the Municipality and lived in first person that change.

At the beginning we experienced some difficulties in the management of the city, mostly because the knowledge of the facilities wasn’t enough: network services and the problems linked to them, together with the strategies that were adopted for its management.

The contribution of the the professionals that worked at the realization of Punta Ala was precious, and I remember especially the meeting and the visits with Di Salvo, Piemontese and the surveyor Pernazza, who was appointed by the company Punta Ala. From the beginning, as it always happens when

the management changes, residents, owners of the villas and regular visitors of the city complained with the Municipality in order to draw the attention to problems and ask for intervention.

After the initial steps, it was possible outline precisely the situation and list the priorities.

After several years, I can say I know quite well the strong points and the weaknesses of the city.

Those aspects helped us proceeding with the preparation of the new urban plan. First we thought of the structural programme, to focus afterwards on the urban organization plan.

The strong points were: - A uniform urban design, planned by the best professionals of those years, which proved to ‘function quite well’; - Efficient works of urbanization with modern water purification and depuration plants, that were realized just before or simultaneously the construction of the buildings; - High architectural quality of the buildings; the reason for this is probably that the owners of the allotments trusted the architects that worked in Punta Ala, and who, thanks to the knowledge they had of the territory, planned high quality buildings, which integrated greatly within the environmental context; - Organized division of the functions within the city, that made the experience in the hotels pleasant and welcoming; Weaknesses were: - The project Punta Ala awed much to the increase

32

Walter Di Salvo

Table “Quadro Conoscitivo� (Adozione Regolamento Urbanistico, Comune di Castiglione della Pescaia, 2011).

33

Walter Di Salvo

Table, synthesis on soil usage (Adozione Regolamento Urbanistico, Comune di Castiglione della Pescaia, 2011).

34

Walter Di Salvo

Photographical and technical plan, sport facilities (Ufficio Tecnico, Comune di Castiglione della Pescaia, 2014).

5868 10087

2659

1576

484

20605 1259 11082

11999

6153

in the production of the automotive sector, therefore the city was planned to be ‘driven’. People had to move from their house to the parking areas, which were to be found in the lower part of the city, next to the coast; - Pavements were almost absent, as well as cycle paths, with regards to movements to the seaside.

Public parking spaces for external visitors were missing as well;

- Absence of an efficient sewerage system for white-water disposal.

The system for the disposal of the rainwater was made through the use of the small ditches at the side of the streets.

In addition to the above mentioned aspects, it was possible to underline after 20 years of management that it was necessary to establish a group of stable residents that were capable of undertaking

35

Walter Di Salvo

maintenance works in a city that developed massively, with a consequent great presence of streets, linear infrastructures and several green spaces.

Considering the fact also that the way of going on holiday had changed (families didn’t move to the ‘second house at the sea’ for the whole period of July and August), it was necessary to diversify the touristic opportunities.

Today’s methods of the urban planning try to give a solution, drawing the attention, however, to the safeguard of the strong points of the city, like for example its design and the incomparable natural context.

of the activities, the elimination/reduction of the existing problems, the consolidation and empowerment of the permanent residence, thus reducing the use of the houses as ‘holiday houses’, the upgrading of the hotel facilities and services in order to prolong the touristic season, and the re-organization the urban forecasts of the existing GOUP that hasn’t been realized yet or reduce the decaying areas1.

Attached you can find some tables of the analysis plan that show the building areas and today’s use of the soil in Punta Ala. The original building areas have been in great part completed.

Considering their high quality standards and the beauty of the landscape of the building areas, the urban plan outlined some rules for the safeguard of the original plan of Quaroni – Di Salvo.

Mostly concerning Pozzino, Fornino, Molletta and Gualdo: the buildings, that can’t be enlarged, and the green spaces too.

Following the structural plan, today’s plan doesn’t allow the construction of new residential complexes, excluding Poggio al Crino, which allows the realization of 33 villas in the area next to the church in front of the Pozzino and Fornino areas2.

This area presents some woods and the forecasts has been evaluated in the context of the modifications to the structural plan of 2013 with the aim of adapting the urban plan to the structural plan.

Today’s urban organization plan After more than 30 years from the approval of the General organization urban Plan, in February 2011 the new Municipal urban regulation plan was adopted, following the rules and procedures of the regional law no. 1/2005.

The urban regulation plan enforces the indications showed in the Municipal structural plan of 2007, and that was approved in 2010.

The structural plan outlines the strategies of the possible modifications to the city. The goals established with the structural plan for Punta Ala are bound to: the maintenance of the residential plan of the ‘Project Quaroni’ and the empowerment of the of the urban quality and of the architectural features, the upgrading of the decayed areas, the development of the services for the inhabitants and the tourists, the re-organization

1. Art. 46 (Structural plan principles).

2. See the picture herein, at p. 45.

36

Walter Di Salvo Table, full project for Punta Ala (East), approved in July 2015 (Regolamento Urbanistico, Comune di Castiglione della Pescaia, 2015). Frist table was presented in 2011, then again in 2014 and in 2015.

The other building forecast (two private villas) is bound to the necessity of upgrading today’s area, which works as a nursery, and it lies next to Molletta.

In the context of this operation the nursery has to be moved in the area between the main road and the commercial area, and the realization of two

private villas in an area that today is decaying. As for the plan for the empowerment of the permanent residence, the urban plan has ordered two socalled PEE areas: one represents the enlargement of the existing PEEP (in Via dello Scoiattolo) and the other in the building area of the Gualdo, the

37

Walter Di Salvo

possibility of enlarging and upgrading of the port, increase until up to 1000 boat spots and the possibility of modifying the access to the port with a consequent upgrading of the port both for the access and for the internal movement.

The upgrading of the port can be realized through the due preparation and the approval of the realization plan.

This enlargement opportunity has been verified, with the aim of ensuring the sustainability of the previewed modifications with respect to environment, panorama, beaches and sailing. I’d like to end my speech with a consideration.

Punta Ala awes its quality to three aspects that I mentioned at the beginning. This quality must be preserved and maintained. This can not happen only forbidding modifications or new constructions, but also through discrete and specific upgrading and improvement works of the existing frame that allow the city to keep up with modern requirements.

Today’s national and regional legislation adopts verifying methods able to ensure the safeguard of the quality of the territory and the people living here. I wish therefore that this urban plan, that has to be continuously verified in compliance with the values of the territory and the safeguard of the resources, preserves and improves the quality of this beautiful city.

area that the original plan Quaroni-Di Salvo had appointed for the creation of the summers school, but that had never been realized.

The urban plan ordered moreover, with regards to the sports facilities, the possibility of upgrading for the existing ones, in particular for those which are to be found in the belt comprised between the beach and the houses, and for the golf course.

It is possible to build, for all these facilities, nine building plots to be used as club house or as guest house, in order to allow the improvement of the quality of the services for the tourists.

As to the hotel facilities, the urban plan outlined the possibility of enlargement for any existing hotel and the realization of a new tourist centre, at the entrance of the city, next to the existing hotels.

The aim of the urban regulation plan is to upgrade and improve the opportunities, always following and respecting the original project, the value of which cannot be questioned.

The realization of these works will allow moreover to outline and realize the necessary works for the hydric safety of the areas next to the Molletta.

The urban plan is in fact supported by geological and hydraulic studies that underlined some of the problems and the possible works to be done for the safety of Punta Ala’s inhabitants.

The urban method has finally approved, in accordance with the regional authorities the

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Walter Di Salvo

Walter Di Salvo

A consideration over the Organization Urban Plan

How does it feel, Maestro, to live in a place that you radically and truly planned, from the first idea of the urban plan, to the distribution of the allotments and the realization of the villas?

I’m truly satisfied in stating that, together with the modern development and, therefore, of the urbanization, the solutions that we adopted remain still today quite visible also from people who experience them for the first time. I’m glad that this place hasn’t lost its characteristic of being a enormous natural park.

And what about the organization urban Plan?

I find it exaggerated. The limit that was imposed in the original plan, that regarding a low level of building opportunities, was one of the reason, together with the beauty of this place, that convinced many businessmen to buy allotments in Punta Ala. When I think of Poggio il Crino and the will to build 33 villas on the road that leads to the Port, I’m worried about the urban importance, as well as about the aesthetic effect.

1. See A. Pelosi, Punta Ala. Intervista all’architetto Walter Di Salvo, in Punta Ala Magazine, Summer 2015, Orizzonti srl, 2015, p. 44.

2. Written by W. Di Salvo himself, December 2015.

Punta Ala (Archivio W. Di Salvo).

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Walter Di Salvo

Miriam Parricchi

Associations that support territory

I am direct witness of this urban miracle. In this very context I’ve been asked to represent all those associations that currently are actively working in Punta Ala, that may look useless to somebody, but are important on the contrary, because of their activity of vigilance, with the aim of building a good relationship with the local authorities and preserve the good functioning of the territory. They don’t represent any economic nor political interest. The main goal of these Associations is the safeguard of this heritage, the legacy of businessmen capable of thinking ahead and combining real estate business with concepts like respect, harmony and beauty.

All this gave birth to Punta Ala: ‘a piece of paradise that can be bought’, as said an advert of the 60s.

Punta Ala really is a paradise!

And it’s still a paradise after more than 50 years, in which man couldn’t ruin the beauty of the place.

Nature is, for now, the winner.

Let me first of all thank Walter Di Salvo, for he contributed in making Punta Ala and its architectures unique and extraordinary.

I would like to thank also the architect Alessandra Pelosi for fulfilling a wish that I dreamed of for many years. She’s been strong and determined in pursuing her idea, features that the community of Punta Ala clearly missed.

The determination in paying homage to one of the most important actors for the development of our territory. Therefore, we welcomed this initiative with enthusiasm and pride: we wanted, at our best, to make our part in the realization of this Meeting and Exhibition, named ‘Walter Di Salvo: an avant-garde project for Punta Ala’.

Everywhere you look, you can find traces of the unique style of Di Salvo: in many of the villas, but also in key structures, like our church, the restaurant-bar La Vela, La Bussola, which in the years has become also a hotel.

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Walter Di Salvo

Times have changed of course, and habits in holidays changed a lot, but Punta Ala wants to preserve its main characteristics, those of a place in which tourism is also a social opportunity.

People living and working wanted this place to steadily maintain this halo of magic, leaving problems outside the window…

This is the concept at the base of Punta Ala. Punta Troia, that was the name of large area of about 9000 hectares, was bought in 1931 by Italo Balbo, for hunting purposes and to let his hosts rest a bit during his flights.

Balbo changed the name in Punta Ala, and became a little port in which he could ‘park’ his seaplane.

Now, it has become one the most beautiful sea areas in the world.

It was Balbo that decontaminated the area, and after that cultivations of wine and corn were introduced. He transformed it in a countryside mansion, together with the construction of the access road, the aqueduct, the mansions Tre Pini, Gualdo, Tartana, Molletta, and a big building that worked as stalls and deposit for hay that soon became Il Casone.

Family Lentati bought afterwards the property, which was then resold to a real estate company: Punta Ala S.p.A, the company that realized the re-organization of Punta Ala. During the years, the urban plan has certainly changed, but looking at the big picture the unique characteristics of Punta Ala remained unaltered.

Of course we’re a bit worried of the future, because

this territory today is difficult to manage. Since 2000, after the end of the agreement between the Municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia and the Punta Ala S.p.A., Punta Ala became a small part of Castiglione, with old-fashioned and non-functioning structures.

Part however that brought many resources to the Municipality of Castiglione della Pescaia.

The sports facilities of Punta Ala represent a great accolade for Castiglione, which has been appointed as European Centre of the Sport, and the sea too contributed to the winning of the prize Most beautiful sea of Italy, two years in a row, as well as the winning of the 5 Vele prize, and other important accolades.

Those prizes were given to our Municipality for the good combination of sea, environment, tourism and sustainability.

In this context the economic operators of Punta Ala would like their hosts to be fully satisfied, not just with the natural beauties and sports excellences, but also with the services that we offer.

The community of Punta Ala is putting a lot of work into building its own identity, which is formed by a group of families that grew through their work, that has been built step by step and brought Punta Ala to be today one the most important touristic business of the coast of the Tirreno Sea. Punta Ala is a company, that gives work to many other small towns like Follonica, the area of the Argentario, excellences for sailing and boating.

Company Punta Ala is capable of living also in win-

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Walter Di Salvo

Vivere Punta Ala is promoting the cooperation between the public and the private, knowing well that prolonging and improving the summer season potentialities involves, on the one hand, public administration, which is responsible for the maintenance of the services necessary for a good quality of life of the people living in Punta Ala; on the other hand, the private sector, that ensure serviced to function properly and with good quality.

The Committee Vivere Punta Ala believes that in the future this relationship will continue to work in harmony.

The strength of the Associations lies in the fact that they are free and independent.

They have different interests sometimes, but one unique goal, that is to say the love for Punta Ala. I hope that for this reason they can continue working together for many years to come.

ter, preparing for the summer season in a vicious circle that, despite all, works. This is Punta Ala today.

The associations today are Tutela di Punta Ala, founded in 2007, the goal of which is to preserve, safeguard and promote the history and the natural heritage of Punta Ala and the surrounding territories.

The Association ‘Il Gualdo’ founded in 2009, dedicated to art and culture, but which also, recently, has started to care about tourism and problem solving activities as well.

In 2014 the association Vivere Punta Ala was founded, which is committee created by three other associations with economic interests: Galleria il Gualdo, il Porto, Stabilimenti Balneari.

Vivere Punta Ala, wants to improve the quality of life of the locals and the people spending their holidays here, not to mention the empowerment of the touristic sector.

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Walter Di Salvo

Punta Ala (Ph. Carla Bertero, 2015).

43

Documents

Playbill (Punta Ala)

Walter Di Salvo

45

Walter Di Salvo

Brochure (Punta Ala)

Dall’intervista a WDS: Di Salvo, qual è stata l’idea principe nel progetto urbanistico di Punta Ala? La formazione dei comparti edificabili immersi nel verde dei prati e della pineta chiaramente delimitati da strade di servizio dettati dall’orografia del terreno che è sempre stata la via obbligata per la formazione degli schemi progettuali.

Di fatto Lei è stato il geniale ideatore delle “rotondeâ€?.

Per quanto riguarda le “rotonde� forse sono stato il primo ad usarle in Maremma!

Nelle immagini (dall’alto): Villa Mari (pianta), Villa Passani, disegni originali e Villa Quiriconi.

A destra: Di Salvo al lavoro e Studio dell’Architetto

Cosa prova a vivere in una località che ha generato totalmente, dall’ideazione del piano urbanistico alla distribuzione dei lotti, alla costruzione delle ville?

La mia soddisfazione è nel constatare che con il progredire dello sviluppo e quindi con l’urbanizzazione le soluzioni viarie del luogo risultino tutt’oggi chiare e facilmente leggibili anche da chi li percorre per la prima volta e che il luogo non abbia perduto la sua caratteristica di grande parco naturale.

Walter Di Salvo (Firenze, 1926) è interprete del movimento dell’architettura organica. Estimatore di maestri come Wright, Mies Van Der Role, Richard Neutra, Le Corbusier, Louis I. Kahn, Carlo Scarpa, Leonardo Ricci, Giuseppe Giorgio Gori e Leonardo Savioli. Si laurea presso L’Università di Architettura di Firenze nell’Anno Accademico 1955/56 con il Prof.

Libera, si iscrive all’albo degli architetti di Firenze e dopo un primo Premio al concorso per il lungomare di Tirrenia (Pisa) nel 1956 e dopo alcune realizzazioni per edifici privati di civile abitazione, dal 1957 lavora per lo studio Savonarola diretto dall’Ing. V. Barbetta dove ha l’occasione di redigere il primo progetto d’insediamento turistico di Punta Ala. E’ il 1959 e Punta Ala è territorio vergine e tutto da progettare a cui fa seguito dal 1960 il progetto e la direzione lavori delle urbanizzazioni della stessa località . A Punta Ala, dove si trasferisce progetta e realizza per una vasta committenza privata numerose opere di notevole qualità architettonica.

Costruzioni immerse tra i pini o a picco sul mare, risolte con innovative soluzioni tecniche concretizzano ricerche spaziali dettate dalla conformazione del terreno e dall’orientamento del sole in una totale libertĂ progettuale. Si ricordano, tra le tante, il bagno bar “La Velaâ€? (1959/60), la Chiesa della Consolata in collaborazione con l’arch. F.P. Piemontese (1961/62), villa Rusconi (1964), villa Marzocchi (1963), villa Nanni (1963), villa Di Salvo (1976) sotto schedatura della Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e per il Paesaggio per le province di Arezzo, Grosseto e Siena in collaborazione con la Direzione Generale per l’Architettura Contemporanea (DARC) del Ministero per i beni Culturali di Roma.

Walter

Di Salvo Un progetto d’avanguardia a Punta Ala

Mostra itinerante e Convegno A cura di: dott. arch. Alessandra Pelosi Layout: arch. Gianluca Egisti Prima inaugurazione sede Sala Espositiva “Il Gualdo�

Punta Ala, Castiglione della Pescaia (GR) 31 luglio / 16 agosto 2015 ore 18.00 - 22.00 Inaugurazione 31 luglio, ore 19.00

Con il patrocinio di:

Con il patrocinio e la collaborazione di:

COMUNE DI CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA

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46

Walter Di Salvo

Brochure (Punta Ala)

Walter

Programma del Convegno - 31 luglio 2015 ore 18,30 Registrazione dei partecipanti ore 19:00 Apertura dei lavori Moderatore Mariella Zoppi (Università di Firenze) Saluto di Giancarlo Farnetani (Sindaco Città di Castiglione della Pescaia) Felicia Rotundo (Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e per il Paesaggio di Arezzo, Grosseto e Siena) La catalogazione delle opere di Di Salvo Mariella Zoppi (Università di Firenze) Punta Ala, un progetto di città fra verde e mare Roberto Maestro (Università di Firenze e partner dello Studio Ludovico Quaroni) Natura e architettura: contrasto o collaborazione

Punta Ala costituisce una cornice significativa per ospitare una mostra sull’architetto Walter Di Salvo (premio IN-ARCH per la Toscana 1990) perché qui l’architetto ha progettato e di seguito realizzato una delle sue opere più importanti, il piano urbanistico di Punta Ala, e svolto un’intensa attività progettuale per una vasta committenza privata.

Di Salvo

Alessandra Pelosi (curatrice della mostra) Nascita e sviluppo del Piano Di Salvo a Punta Ala Donatella Orlandi (Comune di Castiglione della Pescaia) Il piano urbanistico attuale di Punta Ala Marco Del Francia (OAPPC LI) Poetiche contemporanee in Maremma Miriam Parricchi (presidente Associazione Galleria Il Gualdo) La realtà associativa a sostegno del territorio Aperitivo di benvenuto offerto dall'Associazione Galleria Il Gualdo Visita guidata della mostra L’evento è in sede di accreditamento per 4 crediti formativi professionali (3 CFP per il Convegno di presentazione e 1CFP per la partecipazione della mostra)

Nelle immagini a fianco, dall’alto in basso: Bagno La Vela, la Bussola, lavori sul territorio, piano di lottizzazione, piano Punta Ala.

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Playbill (Firenze)

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In Punta Ala Magazine, Summer 2015, Orizzonti Srl, 2015.

Punta Ala Punta Ala

Intervista all’architetto Intervista all’architetto Walter Di Di Salvo Walter Salvo di Alessandra Pelosi Pelosi di Alessandra

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Qual’è stata l’idea principe nel proge Punta Ala? La formazione dei comparti edificabili dei prati e della pineta chiaramente d di servizio dettati dall’orografia del terr stata la via obbligata per la formazione gettuali.

Oltre l’evidente interesse per Wright, maestri che l’hanno inspirata?

Sono molti i maestri di cui ho subito l’in diversi ammirandone le opere e possib

All’Università di Firenze ha avuto la quentare corsi tenuti da grandi maes come Ricci, Gori e Savioli. Da quale stato maggiormente coinvolto durant fessionale?

Non c’è dubbio che l’arch. Leonardo R segnante che più mi ha comunicato l’ materia dell’architettura. Durante il pe ho trovato anche amici della quale nu come il prof. Roberto Maestro con la alcune collaborazioni.

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L’incontro con Walter Di Salvo (premio IN-ARCH per la Toscana 1990) avviene nella residenza stabile dell’architetto a Punta Ala, Lo Scoglietto, sotto tutela della Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e per il Paesaggio per le province di Arezzo, Grosseto e Siena in collaborazione con la Direzione Generale per l’Architettura Contemporanea (DARC) del Ministero per i beni Culturali di Roma.

Difficile riassumere in poche righe la biografia dell’architetto Walter Di Salvo (Firenze, 1926). Fra gli architetti ancora tutti da scoprire e della quale è in atto una mostra nelle sale Comunali del Gualdo a Punta Ala (GR) dal 31 luglio al 16 agosto 2015 dal titolo: “Walter Di Salvo: un progetto d’avanguardia a Punta Ala” curata dall’architetto Alessandra Pelosi, a cui fa seguito una monografia.

Walter Di Salvo è interprete del movimento dell’architettura organica e figura di indubbio fascino. Studioso di maestri come Wright, Mies Van Der Role, Richard Neutra, Le Corbusier, Louis I. Kahn, Carlo Scarpa, Leonardo Ricci, Giuseppe Giorgio Gori e Leonardo Savioli.

L’architetto dopo la Laurea alla Facoltà di Architettura di Firenze nel 1955, dopo un primo Premio al concorso per il lungomare di Tirrenia (Pisa) nel 1956 e dopo alcune realizzazioni per edifici privati di civile abitazione, ha l’occasione di redigere a soli trentatrè anni il primo progetto d’insediamento turistico di Punta Ala. è il 1959 e Punta Ala è territorio vergine e tutto da progettare. Per portare a termine con successo questo incarico è richiesto impegno totale e rapida progettazione.

Da allora l’arch. Walter Di Salvo svolge un’intensa attività progettuale per una vasta committenza privata intellettualmente colta e finanziariamente lungimirante. Successivamente trasmette tale conoscenza ai suoi intimi collaboratori e studiosi del suo operato. Costruzioni immerse tra i pini o a picco sul mare, risolte con innovative soluzioni tecniche concretizzano ricerche spaziali dettate dalla conformazione del terreno e dall’orientamento del sole in una totale libertà progettuale.

Arch. Di Salvo, cosa prova a vivere in una località che ha generato totalmente, dall’ideazione del piano urbanistico alla distribuzione dei lotti, alla costruzione delle ville?

La mia soddisfazione è nel constatare che con il progredire dello sviluppo e quindi con l’urbanizzazione le soluzioni viarie del luogo risultino tutt’oggi chiare e facilmente leggibili anche da chi li percorre per la prima volta e che il luogo non abbia perduto la sua caratteristica di grande parco naturale.

Cosa progetterebbe urbanisticamente in modo diverso?

Ogni luogo offre diverse soluzioni fra le quali scegliere quella più adatta.

Cosa non cambierebbe assolutamente dell’urbanizzazione di Punta Ala? La scelta di lasciare intatto il grande prato che divide la parte abitata dalla zona balneare.

Lei ha viaggiato moltissimo, quale Pa più rimasto impresso?

Ho avuto la fortuna di vivere in un’epo anche in territori poco conosciuti e og ricolosi era possibile. Mi è difficile sce dare una preferenza è il centro Africa: e Kenia.

Lei è appassionato di musica e di lettera no musicale e il libro che ha accompag Non ho libro o brano musicale che mi to particolare ma l’ascolto della music divertimento preferito. Se penso ad un patto risponderei ‘libri di viaggi’ ma in r sato ai libri che rappresentano gli avve avvenuti dopo la seconda guerra mond

Qual’è stata l’idea principe nel progetto urbanistico di Punta Ala? La formazione dei comparti edificabili immersi nel verde dei prati e della pineta chiaramente delimitati da strade di servizio dettati dall’orografia del terreno che è sempre stata la via obbligata per la formazione degli schemi progettuali.

Oltre l’evidente interesse per Wright, quali sono stati i maestri che l’hanno inspirata?

Sono molti i maestri di cui ho subito l’influenza per motivi diversi ammirandone le opere e possibilmente visitandole.

All’Università di Firenze ha avuto la possibilità di frequentare corsi tenuti da grandi maestri contemporanei come Ricci, Gori e Savioli. Da quale insegnamento è stato maggiormente coinvolto durante la sua vita professionale?

Non c’è dubbio che l’arch. Leonardo Ricci sia stato l’insegnante che più mi ha comunicato l’entusiasmo per la materia dell’architettura. Durante il periodo accademico ho trovato anche amici della quale nutro tutt’oggi stima come il prof. Roberto Maestro con la quale ho stretto alcune collaborazioni.

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. Walter Di Salvo svolge un’intensa attività er una vasta committenza privata intelleta e finanziariamente lungimirante. Succesmette tale conoscenza ai suoi intimi collaiosi del suo operato. Costruzioni immerse picco sul mare, risolte con innovative soe concretizzano ricerche spaziali dettate azione del terreno e dall’orientamento del ale libertà progettuale.

o, cosa prova a vivere in una località che otalmente, dall’ideazione del piano urbatribuzione dei lotti, alla costruzione delle

Lei ha viaggiato moltissimo, quale Paese o luogo Le è più rimasto impresso?

Ho avuto la fortuna di vivere in un’epoca in cui viaggiare anche in territori poco conosciuti e oggi considerati pericolosi era possibile. Mi è difficile scegliere ma se devo dare una preferenza è il centro Africa: Uganda, Tanzania e Kenia.

Lei è appassionato di musica e di letteratura. Qual è il brano musicale e il libro che ha accompagnato la sua vita?

Non ho libro o brano musicale che mi ricordino un evento particolare ma l’ascolto della musica classica è il mio divertimento preferito. Se penso ad un libro a primo impatto risponderei ‘libri di viaggi’ ma in realtà sono interessato ai libri che rappresentano gli avvenimenti storici avvenuti dopo la seconda guerra mondiale.

Antropologia e sociologia è lo spunto per raccontarci il suo approccio all’architettura, intesa come valore essenziale per la vita dell’uomo che aspira a creare un contesto scandito dal contrasto degli elementi della natura: in che modo influenzano l’architettura?

La ricerca e l’esame della società su cui viviamo influenzano necessariamente anche l’ambiente che l’uomo costruisce per abitare.

Di fatto Lei è stato il geniale ideatore ‘delle rotonde’..

Per quanto riguarda le ‘rotonde’ forse sono stato il primo ad usarle in Maremma!

Qual è il progetto di Villa della quale va più fiero?

Ogni volta che ho dovuto affrontare il tema di una villa unifamiliare ho cercato di adattarmi soprattutto alla morfologia del terreno e a qualsiasi altro elemento caratteristico del luogo. La villa che grazie alla posizione, alla natura del terreno che ha dato maggiore soddisfazione è quella che ho costruito sulla scogliera, Lotto 42 del Poggettone.

Punta Ala è una splendida località anche grazie al giusto equilibrio tra il costruito e la natura circostante che convivono in armonia. Quale lotto da Lei generato esprime al meglio questa interazione?

Ogni Lotto di Punta Ala! La Bussola è invece la struttura che esprime al meglio tale interazione in quanto è stata progettata pensando alla forma delle dune di sabbia del luogo.

Lei è considerato uno dei migliori interpreti dell’architettura organica contemporanei, si sente soddisfatto della sua vita professionale o sente che Le manca ancora un progetto?

Oggi, dopo cinquantasei anni e dopo che la mia attività professionale ha superato diversi esami compreso quello della critica devo ammettere che sono stato molto fortunato e che mi ritengo soddisfatto della mia vita professionale. Non mi ritengo uno dei migliori interpreti dell’architettura organica ma credo di essere stato ‘partecipe ideale’ di questo movimento.

fazione è nel constatare che con il prosviluppo e quindi con l’urbanizzazione le del luogo risultino tutt’oggi chiare e facilanche da chi li percorre per la prima volta non abbia perduto la sua caratteristica di naturale.

rebbe urbanisticamente in modo diverso? fre diverse soluzioni fra le quali scegliere ta.

mbierebbe assolutamente dell’urbanizzaAla? sciare intatto il grande prato che divide la alla zona balneare.

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2 Immagine di copertina: Punta Ala selvaggia.

Per gentile concessione Archivio privato W. Di Salvo.

Pagina 42/43 Foto 1: Punta Ala in costruzione: primi lavori stradali.

Per gentile concessione Archivio privato W. Di Salvo.

Foto 2: W. Di Salvo e impresario Scalambra de La Vela.

Per gentile concessione Archivio privato W. Di Salvo.

Foto 3: Primi vacanzieri a La Vela.

Per gentile concessione Archivio privato W. Di Salvo.

Pagina 44/45 Foto 1: Villa Di Salvo.

Foto 2015 dell’arch. Niccolò Brogelli Archivio privato.

Foto 2: Villa Passani.

Foto 2015 dell’arch. Niccolò Brogelli Archivio privato.

Foto 3: Villa Passani.

Foto 2015 dell’arch. Niccolò Brogelli Archivio privato Foto 4: Villa Quiriconi.

Foto 2015 dell’arch. Niccolò Brogelli Archivio privato

It is difficult to briefly summarize the biography of architect Walter Di Salvo (born in Florence in 1926), among the architects worth getting to know better. An exhibit of his works is taking place from July 31st to August 16th 2015 in the halls of the Council of the Gualdo in Punta Ala (Grosseto) entitled “Walter Di Salvo: an Avant-garde Project in Punta Ala”, curated by architect Alessandra Pelosi, who also wrote a monograph about him. Walter Di Salvo is an exponent of the movement of organic architecture and an undoubtedly captivating personality. Di Salvo is an expert on masters such as Wright, Mies Van Der Role, Richard Neutra, Le Corbusier, Louis I. Kahn, Carlo Scarpa, Leonardo Ricci, Giuseppe Giorgio Gori and Leonardo Savioli. After his graduation at the School of Architecture in Florence in 1956 and designing some private residential buildings, the architect has the opportunity of carrying out the first project of touristic and residential area of Punta Ala at the young age of 33. In 1959, Punta Ala is a virgin territory and everything has to be planned. To successfully achieve this task, total diligence and fast planning are requested. From that time on, architect Walter Di Salvo conducts an intense planning activity for a wide range of private clients, who are intellectually cultured and financially judicious. Later, he transmits this knowledge to close colleagues, partners and admirers of his work. Constructions surrounded by pine forests or overlooking the sea, resolved by innovative technical solutions, make for spatial ideas dictated by the structure of the land and by the orientation of the sun in a total customizable design.

Вальтер Ди Сальво Сложно выразить в двух строках всю биографию знаменитого архитектора Вальтера Ди Сальво (Флоренция, 1926). С 31 июля по 16 августа 2015 года была организована выставка под названием: «Вальтер Ди Сальво: Авангард в городе Пунта Ала» под руководством архитектора Алессандра Пелози. Вальтер Ди Сальво сумел органично представить архитектуру и воплотить ее в завораживающую картину. Ученик и последователь таких мастеров, как Wright, Mies Van Der Role, Richard Neutra, Le Corbusier, Louis I. Kahn, Carlo Scarpa, Leonardo Ricci, Giuseppe Giorgio Gori и Leonardo Savioli, в 1955 году защитил диплом по архитектуре, а в 1956 выиграл конкурс под названием «Набережная Тирении» в городе Пиза. Не смотря на возраст, в тридцать три года ему было предложено возглавить первый масштабный проект туристического города Пунта Алы, который еще в 1959 году был абсолютно нетронутой местностью. Работу требовалось выполнять быстро и качественно. Вот так и начал молодой архитектор Вальтер Ди Сальво 4 воплощать в жизнь свои идеи. Строения, утопающие в сосновом бору, который величественно70 возвышается над морем, выполнены в современном стиле с учётом всех деталей свободной проектировки.

Walter Di Salvo

Residence Scoglietto (Ph. Luca Lupi, 2015).

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Villa Marzocchi (Ph. Luca Lupi, 2015)

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Villa Zambelli (Ph. Luca Lupi, 2015)

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Alessandra Pelosi

A short biographical sketch of Architect Walter Di Salvo 1

Walter Di Salvo (IN-ARCH Prize for Tuscany, 1990), amongst those architects who are still waiting to be fully discovered, is a member of organic architecture movement, and a fascinating figure.

His ideal masters are Frank Lloyd Wright2, Mies Van Der Rohe, Richard Neutra, Le Corbusier, Louis I. Kahn, Alvar Aalto, Carlo Scarpa, Leonardo Ricci, Giuseppe Giorgio Gori, and Leonardo Savioli.

Di Salvo, during his professional career (1955/2011), created more than 180 projects, and most of them have been published.

A great traveler (he visited almost all the continents, as you can imagine by watching at the map of the world, on the wall in his living room, where he loves to sign all his journeys); and a great lover of classical music, expecially from Romantic period. During his University studies, he knows his good friend Giovanni Klaus Koenig, but also Roberto Maestro, with whom he’ll be working many times, Vittorio Giorgini, Marino Rossi, Lisindo Baldassini, and many others. He gets his Degree in Architecture at Florence University, in 1955/56, with Professor Adalberto Libera3, working at the project of a paper factory in Della Lima (Pistoia); he becomes an architect (Albo degli Architetti di Firenze) in 1956, and opens his own studio in Florence, where he works side by side, for some months, with Vittorio Giorgini: they both work at the fornitures for “Ristorante per i poveri della Parrocchia di San Lorenzo”, in Florence. After the First Prize for a project of the seaside in Tirrenia (Pisa), in 1956, and after some private buildings in Florence, he starts to seek a secure job, which he finally finds at Galileo Company.

1. A. Pelosi, Tre idee provocatorie di Walter Di Salvo nella Firenze degli anni Ottanta, in “QCR”, n. 3-4, 2015 (year XXXV, issue 123), “Firenze & il suo doppio”, pp. 166-174.

2. Wright was in Florence in 1952, for the opening of an exhibition about his works, which was organized by Arch. O. Stonorov and by art historian C.L. Ragghianti, in Palazzo Strozzi.

3. Adalberto Libera was academic teacher of “Composizione Architettonica” at University of Florence, from 1953 to 1962.

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The Company works in the field of photogrammetry, but Di Salvo appears to be not very satisfied of this job.

His life occasion happens when he meets, in 1957, ingeneer Valdemaro Barbetta, director of Studio Savonarola in Florence, who at the time is dealing with a difficult task: a project for a turistic developement, in Maremma, in a place called Punta Ala4.

Di Salvo will be the author of the Plan for Punta Ala; moreover, during 56 years of activity, he will work at many houses, villas , and buildings, showing amazing techical and spatial solutions, which naturally follow terrain morphology and the position of the sun.

The “Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e per il Paesaggio”, in 2003 – as has been remembered by dr.

Felicia Rotundo5 during the Meeting for the opening of the Exhibition Walter Di Salvo, un progetto d’avanguardia a Punta Ala – has promoted a documentary campaign6 of contemporary architecture works in the provinces of Siena and Grosseto (Tuscany), in collaboration with the University of Siena.

So, many note-worthy villas have been described: villa Marzocchi 7, villa Quiriconi 8, villa Passani 9, villa Nanni 10, villa plurifamiliare comparto il Fornino11.

The house of the architect – Casa Di Salvo – was designed by MiBACT12 as an excellence for 20th Century Tuscany Architecture.

Di Salvo’s projects show a detailed study of the masters of that Century, re-worked and re-shaped in a very personal manner.

4. See, herein, A. Pelosi, Di Salvo’s plan for Punta Ala: a history, pp. 25 ff.

5. Dr. Felicia Rotundo is responsible for ”Area Catalogo e Vincoli”, Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e per il Paesaggio delle province di Arezzo, Grosseto e Siena.

6. Catalogue was made by Arch. Barbara Catalani and Arch. Marco Del Francia, along with Soprintendenza per i Beni Architettonici e per il Paesaggio per le province di Siena e Grosseto. The project studied ca. 90 architecture works. Main referee was Ministero per i Beni e le attività culturali, Direzione Generale per l’Arte e l’Architettura Contemporanea (DARC).

7. There, the architect show all the possibilities of wood. The building speaks an innovative language, with a beautiful patio just in front of the sea.

8. F. Rotundo writes, in Atti di Convegno Architettura Contemporanea nel Paesaggio Toscano, esperienze, temi e progetti a confronto, Colle Massari 19-20 Oct. 2007: “Villa Quiriconi is over a very high hill, in front of Isolotto dello Sparviero. Di Salvo uses the small square, where coal-workers used to burn the charcoal, and transforms it into a seven-sided terrace, the very axis of the house, whose spaces are deeply studied and put on different levels”.

9. Villa Passani is built over many different levels, in order to adapt to the soil shape, alternating covering structures and terraces.

10. Villa Nanni, designed in a circular shape, is perfectly absorbed by natural landscape. Curved concrete and natural stone wall, on the ground floor, is divided rythmically by the arches and by the small windows of the canteen.

11. In Fornino Villa, Walter Di Salvo finds a new solution to the scheme of the many villas which are linked to a central point.

12. Ministero dei Beni e delle Attività Culturali e del Turismo.

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A Punta Ala Following informations have been obtained after a long work, which I have done with architect Di Salvo, and with the help of his collegue, sketcher and architect, Giorgio Bonsanti. Di Salvo has two different archives: in the first, studio of Via della Molletta, we can find the projects for Punta Ala, including those that have never been realized. In the second archive, insiede casa Di Salvo, we can find all other projects. Both archives are organized in the same way. Project sketches, hand-made drawings, technical pictures are all inside cardboard tubes. Moreover, you can find many files, binders, in alphabetical order, with all the documentation of the projects (agreements, relations, mailing, etc.).

Archive files titles (by year)

Di Salvo at work. Architect’s studio in Punta Ala (Ph. Marco Del Francia, 2015).

1959 Project for urbanistic re-shaping, inside former Balbo Property in Punta Ala; areas lotting, scale 1:5000. Property Società Punta Ala S.P.A. Appointment ing. Barbetta, studio Savonarola, Florence 1959 / 2 Aug. 1960.

Projet and works direction, Bath La Vela. First Punta Ala Building.

First family villas.

Villa Piccioli. Area Poggio Rio Palma.

Villa Turina. Area Il Pozzino.

Baths, design of the cabins.

1962 Albergo Gallia. With arch. F.P. Piemontese.

Bagno Gallia.

Casa Maggi. Area Poggio del Barbiere.

Studio Di Salvo. Area la Molletta.

Golf Hotel.

Residence Welt-Ring. Area Poggio del Barbiere.

With arch. Marino Rossi.

1961/62 Lotting study. Poggio del Barbiere, Il Renaione, La Molletta, Lo Scoglietto. Property Società Punta Ala S.P.A. App. ing. Barbetta, studio Savonarola, Florence.

Chiesa della Consolata. Project and works direction.

With arch. F.P. Piemontese.

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1964 Casa Madre Rusconi.

Appartamenti Maldarelli.

Villa Bargero. Area lo Scoglietto.

Villa Silva. Project proposal. Area lo Scoglietto.

Urban project ‘Casa Tipo’.

Area Poggio Grascetini.

1965 Works direction Piastra Servizi, Il Gualdo. Project arch. L. Quaroni and arch. R. Maestro.

Villa Marzoni. Area la Molletta.

1966 Villa Voglino. Area lo Scoglietto.

Plani-volumetrical. Condominium. Poggio del Barbiere.

Villa Carrano. Area il Poggettone.

Project for three apartments. Area lo Scoglietto.

Villa Di Gravio. Area Poggio del Barbiere.

Arch. Di Salvo and arch. Pelosi, having a pause in Punta Ala (Ph. Alessandro Cardinale, 2015).

1963 Public use urbanistic project. Area Poggio Le Mandrie. With prof. arch. L. Quaroni and arch. A. Quistelli.

Villa Marzocchi. Area Poggio del Barbiere.

Villa Passani. Area lo Scoglietto.

Ferrero Lotting. Area Poggio del Barbiere.

Villa Boccia. Area il Fornino.

Villa Rusconi. Area Rio Palma.

Villa Nanni. Area lo Scoglietto.

Project ristorante-bar La Bussola.

1967 Project Casa Bargero. Area Lo Scoglietto.

Condominium. Area Poggio del Barbiere.

1968 Condominium, made of 5 small villas. Area lo Scoglietto.

Residence Scoglietto. Area lo Scoglietto.

Condominium, project. Area Lo Scoglietto.

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Villa Zambelli. Area Poggio del Barbiere.

Villa bifamiliare Faiella. Area Lo Scoglietto.

Casa Bargero. Area Lo Scoglietto.

Villa Mazzone. Area La Molletta.

Villa Ceccherini. Cianciotta Lotting. Area Poggio alle Trincee.

1969 Villa Silva. Area lo Scoglietto.

Four apartments. Area Poggio del Barbiere.

1970 Project Villa Checchia Fargion. Area il Pozzino.

Villa Mari. Area lo Scoglietto.

Project (variant) Villa Faiella. Area Lo Scoglietto.

Project of four houses. Property Boccia. Area Il Fornino.

Villa Voglino. Area lo Scoglietto.

Condominium, project. Area Poggio alla Mandrie.

1971 Project, small villa. Area Poggio le Trincee.

Project, condomonium. Area Poggio le Mandrie.

Residences. Area Poggio le Mandrie.

1972 Hotel. Area lo Scoglietto.

Condominium. Area lo Scoglietto.

Condominium. Area Poggio le Mandrie.

Progetto Villa Rusconi. Comparto il Poggettone.

Villa Di Gravio, inside (Ph. Ciro Maestro, 2015).

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1973 Residential complex project. Area Poggio Rio Palma.

Villa, project. Area il Fornino.

Villa, project. Area Poggio del Barbiere.

Urbanization project. Area Il Fornino.

Four “cross” flats. Area Il Fornino.

Residences. Area Poggio Le Mandrie.

Project Villa Vitelli. Poggio del Barbiere.

Project, condominium with three apartments. Via

della Molletta, Area La Molletta.

Project, condominium with four apartments. Area Poggio del Barbiere.

Project, condominium. Area lo Scoglietto.

Villa, project. Area Poggio le Mandrie.

1974 Villa, project. Area Poggio le Mandrie.

Hotel. Area lo Scoglietto.

Project “tipo” apartments. Area lo Scoglietto.

Villa Di Gravio (Foto Ciro Maestro, 2015)

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1975 Hotel. Area lo Scoglietto.

Condominium (changes). Area Poggio le Mandrie.

Residence (hotel). Area Poggio le Trincee.

Project, small villa. Area Poggio le Mandrie.

Project, four flats Area il Pozzino.

Project for Villa Vevi. Area Poggio le Mandrie.

1982 Residences. Area il Pozzino.

Four families villa. Area il Fornino.

Project, villa and fornitures. Area Poggio le Mandrie.

1st project condomonium with four flats, Pitisano Property. Area la Molletta.

Transformation of Disco Club Voce del Mare (wood building), into Disco Club Blek Sun. Zone plan for economical and popular housing, nr. 167.

Villa Lorenzini. Area Poggio le Mandrie.

Residences. Area Poggio le Mandrie.

Changings at Villa Zavi. Area Poggio le Mandrie.

Project, “tipo” apartment. Area Poggio le Mandrie.

Project, three buildings, area nr. 167.

Project, Camping Santa Pomata.

Baths il Quadrifoglio.

1976 Residences. Area il Fornino.

Villa Rusconi-Quiriconi. Area il Poggettone.

Casa Di Salvo. Area lo Scoglietto.

Urbanistic project. Area lo Scoglietto.

1979 Hotel. Area lo Scoglietto.

Project condominium Villa Mari. Area lo Scoglietto.

1980 Three families villa. Area la Molletta.

Project, circular house. Area il Fornino.

Project, forniture for Villa Rusconi.

Four villas, project. Area il Poggettone.

Hotel (changes). Area lo Scoglietto.

2° project fo villa with a chapel. Area il Poggettone.

Project, four flats. Area il Fornino.

1988 Pedestrian Zone G. Tennis Courts, lighting. Area il Gualdo.

Re-shaping Property Etruria Leasing S.p.A. Area la Molletta.

1981 Four families villa. Area il Fornino.

Casa Guagni. Area Poggio le Mandrie.

1st project for villa Mottola-Ramazzotti. Area la Molletta.

Four families villa. Area il Fornino.

1989 Changes at Welt-ring. Area Poggio del Barbiere.

Plani-volumetrical resdences. Area Poggio Il Crino.

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1990 Project, lotting “case continue”. Area Poggio il Crino and Rio Palma.

Project, changes at Restaurant La Bussola.

2007 Renovation plan for Villa Dainelli, via della Molletta.

Renovation plan Villa Marzocchi. Area Poggio del Barbiere.

1993 Studies, Area Il Crino.

2008 Project of villa bifamiliare Rusconi.

Changes, project of services at Bagno il Quadrifoglio.

1996 Changes at Villa Nanni (study). Area lo Scoglietto.

Renovation, building of Via della Molletta.

2011 Delivery of professional stamp; ceasing professional activity.

1998 Renovation Studio Di Salvo, via della Molletta.

Project “Canonica”.

Renovation plan for Etruria Leasing. Area la Molletta.

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Bibliography on Walter Di Salvo

Casa-club Weltring a Punta Ala, pres. by V. Girardi, in “L’architettura / cronache e storia”, nr. 113, year X, March 1965, Ed. Etas-Kompas, pp. 736-741; Tre opere di Walter Di Salvo a Punta Ala: Villa Passani, Bar La Vela, Villa a Poggio Rio Palma, pres. by V. Girardi, in “L’architettura / cronache e storia”, nr. 125, year XI, March 1966, Ed. Etas-Kompas, pp. 720-725; Hotel [Weltring] in Punta Ala, in “Bouwkundig Weekblaad”, nr. 19, Sept. 1966, pp. 298-300; Punta Ala: abitazioni al mare [villa Passani], in “Interni”, nr. 16, April 1968, Ed. Gorlich, Milano, pp. 5-9; Villa [Nanni] a Castiglione della Pescaia, in “Ville - Giardini”, nr. 4, April 1968, Ed. Gorlich, Milano, pp. 7-16; Una casa [villa Passani] a più livelli su un terreno in pendenza, in “Ville - Giardini”, nr. 9, Sept. 1968, Ed. Gorlich, Milano, pp. 22-28; Magnani F. (edited by), “Ville al mare”, Milano, 1971, pp. 88-91; Cemento nascosto, in “Ville - Giardini”, nr. 42, June 1971, Ed. Gorlich, Milano, pp. 32-37; Proiettata verso il mare. In Toscana, in “Ville e giardini”, nr. 67, July 1973, Ed. Gorlich, Milano; Tre opere di Walter Di Salvo, critical essay by G.K. Koenig, in “L’architettura / cronache e storia”, nr. 328, Feb. 1983, year XXIX, Gruppo Editoriale Fabbri, pp. 90-105; Koenig G.K., Immersi nel terreno, in “Ottagono”, nr. 74, Sept. 1984, Ed. COPINA; pp. 18-23; Maestro R., ‘Lavorare fuori città’, in “Professione Architetto. Periodico d’informazione dell’Ordine degli Architetti di Firenze”, nrs. 1-2, Jan.-Feb. 1986, pp. 2-8; Un’idea per le Murate. Progetto n. 156. Arch. Walter Di Salvo e arch. Roberto Maestro, in “Professione Architetto. Periodico d’informazione dell’Ordine degli Architetti di Firenze”, nr. 1, Jan. 1988; Parcheggio Piazzale Michelangelo, Firenze. Arch. Walter Di Salvo, Arch. Roberto Maestro, Posto Auto Tipologie e Tecnologie. Ferrari-Riccardi, Ed. BEMA, Milano, May 1989; Casa sul mare a Punta Ala, in G.K. Koenig, B. Furiozzi, G. Fanelli, B. Bugatti, F. Brunetti, Tecnologia delle costruzioni, vol. 3, Le Monnier, Firenze 1989, pp. 190-191; Catalogo della biennale di architettura, Milano, Castello Sforzesco, 1996;

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Zetti E., Punta Ala, I fatti, le vicende, i personaggi che ne hanno fatto la storia dagli etruschi ai giorni nostri, Ed. Centrooffset, 1998; “Opere. Rivista Toscana di architettura”, year I, 2003; Catalogo AC Architettura Contemporanea nel paesaggio toscano, 2007; Masiello E., Walter Di Salvo. L’architettura come operosa esperienza di vita, in Annali dell’Architettura e delle Città - Napoli 2007, edited by M. Casamonti, Motta Architettura, Milano 2007, pp. 90-91; Rotundo F., La catalogazione delle architetture nel territorio grossetano, in “Architetture città e territorio”, nr.

2, Architettura contemporanea nel paesaggio toscano, Firenze, Ed. Edifir, 2008, pp. 30-34; Del Francia M., Walter Di Salvo. Poetiche wrightiane in Maremma, in “Architetture Grosseto”, nrs. 4-5, Ed. ETS, Pisa, 2008; Masiello E., Walter Di Salvo - Progetti a Punta Ala, in “d’Architettura”, nr. 36, Aug. 2008, pp. 76-81; Poltronieri N., Walter Di Salvo, Via della Dogana, Punta Ala, in “Architetture Grosseto”, nr. 7, Ed. ETS, Pisa, 2009, pp. 31-33; L’architettura in Toscana dal 1945 a oggi, edited by A. Aleardi & C. Marcetti (Fondazione Michelucci), with A. Vittorini, MiBAC/PaBAAC, Ed. Alinea, Firenze, 2011, pp. 107-113; Itinerari di architettura contemporanea. Grosseto e provincia, edited by M. Del Francia, G. Tombari, B. Catalani, Ed. ETS, Pisa 2011; Bancalà M., Intervista all’arch. Walter Di Salvo, in “Architetture Grosseto”, nr. 7, Ed. ETS, Pisa, 2012, pp. 60-63; Ciacci D., Lo sviluppo immobiliare di Punta Ala negli anni 60: l’Arch. F. P. Piemontese si racconta, Summer 2013, Orizzonti srl, 2013, pp. 50-53; Masiello E., Walter Di Salvo e la creazione di Punta Ala, meeting of the Cultural Association “Imparalarte”, Firenze, 21 Feb. 2014; Pelosi A., Punta Ala. Intervista all’architetto Walter Di Salvo, in Punta Ala Magazine, Summer 2015, Orizzonti srl, 2015, pp. 42-47; Pelosi A., Punta Ala. Piano di sviluppo per un turismo elitario negli anni Sessanta, in Punta Ala Magazine, Summer 2015, Orizzonti srl, 2015, pp. 90-93; Pelosi A., Tre idee provocatorie di Walter Di Salvo nella Firenze degli anni Ottanta, in “QCR”, nrs. 3-4, 2015 (year XXXV, issue 123), special issue “Firenze & il suo doppio”, pp. 166-174.

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The authors in brief Roberto Maestro. He obtained his Degree in Architecture in Florence in 1957, with a Thesis about the centre of Pontedera. Then he was in Rome, for I.N.A at E.U.R., and in Tunisia as well. He teaches ”Disegno e Rilievo” since 1969 at Faculty of Architecture at University of Florence. Since 1962 he works, with Ludovico Quaroni (Head), Antonio Quistelli, Gabriella Esposito, and Aldo Ponis, at Studio in Via Nizza in Roma. He works at Piano Intercomunale Fiorentino and Piano Intercomunale del Valdarno di Sopra, between 1964 e il 1970. He took part to many national and international projects. Amongst his works, we can remember, for example: Teatro Comunale of Cagliari, the New Faculty of Architecture in Florence, etc. In 2005, he was awarded the “Certificate of Magister” by U.I.D. (Unione Italiana per il Disegno).

Alessandra Pelosi, architect. She obtained her Degree in Architecture at University of Florence, working at Italian Railway Stations. She also studied at Graduate School of London, and at Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, España. Now she works as an architect in Siena, mainly in the field of restorations and research.

Amongst her publications, we can quote for example: 150 anni dell’Unità d’Italia, trasformazioni del Paesaggio in Maremma (ETS, Pisa 2011); Buonconvento nel Risorgimento, dalla fine della dominazione francese al Regno d’Italia. Luci e ombre di una comunità toscana dell’Ottocento (Cantagalli, Siena 2011); Punta Ala. Intervista all’architetto Walter Di Salvo, in Punta Ala Magazine, Summer 2015 (Orizzonti srl, 2015); and she co-edited Il Manifesto dell’architettura futurista di Sant’Elia e la sua eredità (Universitas Studiorum, Mantova 2014).

Donatella Orlandi, from Livorno, obtained her Degree in Civilian Engineering in Pisa, in 1991, working at a Thesis entitled “Progetto di un centro culturale nel quartiere Venezia a Livorno”. She obtained a PhD in Structures Engineering in 1995 at University of Florence, with a Thesis on “Analisi elastica non lineare di strutture ad arco in muratura”. Since 1994 she is a technician at Comune di Castiglione della Pescaia, working at “Lavori Pubblici”, “Ambiente e Patrimonio”, “Urbanistica”, etc. Now she is head of “Settore Pianificazione e Gestione del Territorio” at Comune di Castiglione della Pescaia.

Miriam Parricchi, born in Grosseto, is a manager in Punta Ala. She has a Degree in Political Sciences at Universty “La Sapienza” of Rome, and she studies many historical, philosophical and theological issues. In 2009 she founded, with others, the “Associazione Galleria Il Gualdo” (A.G.G.), as a collector of arts and culture events in Punta Ala. She worked also at “Punta Ala Magazine”. Since 2014 she takes part of the “Consiglio direttivo dell’Associazione Tutela di Punta”, and she founded theI “Comitato Vivere Punta Ala” (V.P.A.).

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Acknowledgements Richard Angiolini Monica BancalĂ Giorgio Bonsanti Giuseppe Briamo Valeria Briamo Niccolo Brogelli Andrea Butelli Diletta Ciacci Walter Di Salvo Gianluca Egisti Marco Giuntini Luca Lupi Ciro Maestro Roberto Maestro Marco Michelacci Donatella Orlandi Andrea Orler Sara Rossi Associazione Il Gualdo: Mara Doro, Alessio Santini, Miriam Parricchi.

Gruppo operativo, Comitato Vivere Punta Ala: Alessandra Bertero, Carla Bertero, Andrea Bindi, Alessandro Cecchinelli, Antonia Dodi, Miriam Parricchi, Roberto Ricceri, Cinzia Toppi.

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