Lanchetta Waterfront Park

De Molfetta Strode Landscape Architects, 2025

The redevelopment project for Parco Lanchetta stems from the need to upgrade a public park on the Lugano lakefront, the previous layout dating back to the 1970s. The 'Lanchetta' (from the term 'lanca', meaning a small river bend or, in this case, a curved lake shore) has always been a pebble beach sloping down to the lake. This natural shore was characterized by a surface of mineral sediments that responded to the hydraulic dynamics of the lake and the mouth of an old stream that has now been diverted and piped. The redevelopment project intentionally sought to revive this geomorphological feature to give the place historical continuity. Lanchetta was traditionally the landing place for barges that delivered stones quarried on the opposite side of the lake (Caprino). These stones were used to build retaining walls for waterways, roads, and dwellings throughout the city.

The gray gravel and stone mulch is a direct reference to the ancient shore of Lanchetta, the Caprino stone, and the limestone rocks that characterize the Lake Lugano basin. The westernmost area of the park, adjacent to water-related activities such as shipyards, the harbor, and the public beach, is enlarged as a children's playground. The nautical-inspired play structures are designed as nets suspended between poles reminiscent of the pilings and piers where boats are moored nearby. This entire area has permeable, fall-proof paving that is accessible to everyone thanks to an innovative mulching system which uses dry, stable wood chips. There are also many benches, bicycle parking areas, and a drinking fountain in this area.

The central portion of Lanchetta Park features a recreation area with sand and scattered furnishings such as chairs, benches, and umbrellas. This area is built over an underground sewage pumping station for the adjacent neighborhoods. The built structure not only requires driveways for maintenance vehicles to access the underground plant, but also prevents trees from being planted in the central area of the park. In this area and the surrounding areas, dry trunks from mature trees have been placed to encourage the formation of habitats for various species, including small mammals, insects, and birds associated with the lake environment. Like a real oasis in the city, the new park includes rocks, flowers, shrubs, dry wood and wetland areas which stimulate biodiversity in the urban environment, ultimately making nature in the city more accessible to the population.