Water, culture and identity. The recovery of former Cagliari’s racecourse area, Italia

Abstract

The former racecourse of Cagliari, inaugurated in 1929, occupies an area of about 24 hectares and is located between the Poetto beach and the Molentargius-Saline Regional Natural Park (one of the most important wetlands in Europe). Although the racetrack has been inactive since 2004, the intended use of this site remains linked to equestrian activity, a discipline deeply alive and rooted in Sardinian culture. The research called "Inhabited Ruin”, the starting point of this article, examines a place immersed in the heart of a natural context and aims to promote and reveal the original function of the site, leveraging its strategic position within the park. Currently the beach and the park, although limiting, are still two distinct realities given the scarcity of paths and infrastructures that allow these sites to be connected to each other. Re-evaluating this structure and integrating it into the surrounding context, in architectural and program terms, would allow the enhancement of the entire area with a more cohesive and integrated system (beach area, park and horse racing activities).  This project interprets the culture of the game of horse racing in a contemporary key, involving the element of water - so faithful to the site - for its restorative power, studying and taking as a model different places that in history have hosted similar events (for example Italian squares such as Piazza del Campo in Siena, Piazza dell'Anfiteatro in Lucca and Piazza Navona in Rome. The charm and success of these places, demonstrate how the private sphere of residential complexes can be actively involved in public life and entertainment venues become the example and inspiration to recover the existing site and transform it into a new environment that adequately integrates natural elements and built to give a unique character to this area of Cagliari.