Girlan — Saba Seighali

Ten photographs of Girlan in two rows of five: black-and-white archival views and recent colour views of the village's houses and lanes, an aerial view of the village among fields and mountains, and a colour postcard marked Girlan, Südtirol — Girlan in old and recent photographs · Photograph credits not stated in supplied material

Regeneration through the existing fabric

Developed alongside the regeneration plan for Girlan’s historic centre, the urban concept establishes a strategic framework for strengthening the village’s spatial, social, and economic foundations while respecting its centuries-old, organically evolved structure.

The historical analysis reveals a settlement rich in architectural and cultural value, yet marked by structural and functional challenges that call for carefully guided development. Planning within a historic core asks for a more nuanced process than conventional residential zones, so the concept starts from a sensitive approach to the existing heritage.

Rather than imposing transformation, the concept works with the existing fabric to find latent potential for renewal and adaptation. The strategy is organised around three defining spatial typologies of historic settlements — public space, built space, and green space — with targeted interventions for each that emphasise their interdependencies and collective impact.

Mobility, social inclusion, and climate resilience are integrated with the preservation of architectural character. The aim is to reactivate the historic centre as a vibrant, resilient living environment that balances continuity and change and sustains its cultural and spatial identity for residents and visitors.

Three systems, one historic centre

Public space includes meeting places such as squares and areas for staying, the forecourts of retail and hospitality venues, and mobility infrastructure such as streets, parking areas, and bus stops. These spaces serve collective use but are partly shaped by competing demands.

Built space is the built environment, including public facilities, and so represents both the public and the private life of Girlan’s residents. The diverse historic building stock, walls, fountains, and alleyways is an important identity-forming element of the town.

Green space forms an important ecological network. It includes large-scale elements such as playgrounds, private gardens, and agricultural areas, as well as individual trees. These structures are essential to the functions of green space: heat reduction, water retention, and habitat.

The three layers, read apart

Before they are combined, each system is drawn on its own: public space in blue, built space in wine, green space in green.

Map of Girlan showing only the public-space layer: a network of streets, squares, and parking in dark blue — Public spaceSaba Seighali with LIA Collective

Map of Girlan showing only the built-space layer: the building stock in wine red — Built spaceSaba Seighali with LIA Collective

Map of Girlan showing only the green-space layer: gardens, orchards, and agricultural land in green — Green spaceSaba Seighali with LIA Collective

A shared spatial reading

The three systems overlap across the historic centre and its 200-, 400-, and 600-metre walking catchments.

Public space

Streets, squares, forecourts, parking, and bus stops carry everyday collective use while negotiating competing demands. The flowchart links three public-space principles — a place to meet, connection and accessibility, and commerce and tourism — to the typologies drawn beside them: social corners, the town square, commercial streets, pedestrian streets, vehicular streets, and parking.

The map locates the inventory across the village: pedestrian zones, restricted-traffic and mixed-traffic streets, walkways, parking, village fountains, and social corners.

Flowchart in German linking three principles of public space (a place of encounter, connectivity and accessibility, commerce and tourism) to six typologies, each with a short note and an axonometric drawing: social corners, main square, commercial streets, pedestrian streets, vehicular streets, and parking — Public-space typologiesSaba Seighali with LIA Collective

Plan of Girlan’s public space in blue, with a German legend (Freiraum-Elemente) for pedestrian zones, restricted and mixed traffic, walkways, parking, village fountains, social corners, schools, library, and bars and cafés — Public-space systemSaba Seighali with LIA Collective

Built space

Homes and public facilities, historic buildings, walls, fountains, and alleyways form the identity-bearing structure of the town. The flowchart links three built-space principles — living, cultural identity, and commerce and tourism — to the typologies drawn beside them: residential buildings, agricultural buildings and sheds, historic buildings, public services, commerce and hotels, and walls.

The map locates the building stock: buildings protected by province and municipality, buildings of historic value to be preserved, walls to be protected, cellars, vacancies, shops, hotels, services, agricultural buildings, and condominiums.

Flowchart in German linking three principles of built space (living, cultural identity, commerce and tourism) to six typologies, each with a short note and a drawing: residential buildings, agricultural buildings and sheds, historic buildings, public services, commerce and hotels, and walls — Built-space typologiesSaba Seighali with LIA Collective

Plan of Girlan’s built space in wine red, with a German legend (Elemente des gebauten Raums) for protected and preserved buildings, walls to be protected, cellars, vacancies, shops, hotels, services, agricultural buildings, and condominiums — Built-space systemSaba Seighali with LIA Collective

Green space

Vineyards, orchards, gardens, roadside greenery, and trees form the ecological network that reduces heat, retains water, and provides habitat. The flowchart links four green-space values — habitat, ecosystem regulation, landscape value, and psychophysical wellbeing — to the typologies drawn beside them: vineyards and orchards, public buildings, roadside greenery, private areas, and trees.

The map locates the network: vineyards and orchards, public green and roadside green, private gardens and green areas, and individual trees.

Flowchart in German linking four values of green space (habitat, ecosystem regulation, landscape value, psychophysical wellbeing) to five typologies, each with a short note and an axonometric drawing: vineyards and orchards, public buildings, roadside greenery, private areas, and trees — Green-space typologiesSaba Seighali with LIA Collective

Plan of Girlan’s green space in green, with a German legend (Elemente des Naturraums) for vineyards and orchards, public green, public roadside green, private gardens, private green areas, trees, and one further category whose label is cut off in the source — Green-space systemSaba Seighali with LIA Collective

Four objectives for regeneration

Implementation is organised around four objectives, each with its own set of actions.

Objective 1
Strengthen the quality of public space
- Limit vehicular access on secondary central streets to residents, improving pedestrian safety.
- Define space for different hierarchies of use.
- Concentrate parking in less central areas and remove central parking.
- Connect public spaces through a common design approach and a stronger street-furniture layout.
- Promote active participation by citizens and local associations.
Objective 2
Protect and integrate cultural identity
- Protect historic buildings and control modifications to them.
- Promote cultural and awareness events connected to Cornaiano’s traditions and historical heritage.
- Support responsible innovation that respects tradition in new construction and the renovation of disused buildings.
Objective 3
Encourage multifunctional collective use
- Maintain essential services through available public buildings.
- Support a continuous village presence with spaces and activities for living, working, and recreation.
Objective 4
Implement green infrastructure
- Use local tree species that support biodiversity and its associated benefits.
- Implement the tree register and guidelines for green-space maintenance.
- Create awareness-raising moments for the community, public administrations, and technicians.

Collective uses and connections

The implementation map locates public institutions, everyday services, parking, green space, and connections toward Bolzano and San Michele.

Map of Girlan's centre locating the village square, parish church, library, schools, kindergarten, elderly centre, shops, parking areas, and fire station, with routes toward Bolzano and San Michele. The image was enhanced by software and some of its labels are distorted — Collective-use institutions and connectionsSaba Seighali with LIA Collective

Project credits

Urban concept and analysis: LIA Collective
Graphics: Saba Seighali with LIA Collective
Year: 2024
Source: Supplied portfolio PDF, PDF pages 11–13 (printed pages 20–25), with the original maps, flowcharts, and photographs supplied by Saba

Strengthen the quality of public space

Protect and integrate cultural identity

Encourage multifunctional collective use

Implement green infrastructure