水之力量

Te Power of Water

路易吉·森托拉喜歡在水中和水邊放松身心。水的力量也推動(dòng)了這位羅馬建筑師的最重要的項(xiàng)目，并確保這世界上最美地方之一的文化遺產(chǎn)能夠得以保存。

“我是大海的兒子，” 路易吉·森托拉說(shuō)，“我最喜歡的消遣是游泳和釣魚(yú)。” 不足為奇，這位建筑師，生于1968年，長(zhǎng)于港口城薩萊諾市；他的業(yè)余時(shí)間幾乎都是在這號(hào)稱(chēng)世界最美的沿海地區(qū)之一的阿馬爾菲海岸附近度過(guò)。路易吉·森托拉不僅是大海之子，而且也是語(yǔ)言大師。如果不是離開(kāi)他的周末度假別墅到岸邊躍入碧波中游個(gè)暢快淋漓，或是駕一葉小舟順?biāo)?，那他一定就是在與人交流。他的手機(jī)不停地響；走在大街上，不斷有汽車(chē)停在他身邊，因?yàn)樗緳C(jī)們都認(rèn)識(shí)他，想跟他打招呼。

以互動(dòng)為生活原則

路易吉·森托拉不僅在郊游時(shí)享受與他人的交流，而且在日常職業(yè)生活中也是如此。作為建筑師，他建成的高樓大廈尚不是很多，但他參與過(guò)的項(xiàng)目數(shù)不勝數(shù)。他就職于各個(gè)大學(xué)，籌劃各種竟賽，與當(dāng)局談判，與專(zhuān)家協(xié)調(diào)、對(duì)話——總是沉著冷靜且富有幽默感，但總是目標(biāo)明確。意大利人的典型日常就是與人交往，森托拉對(duì)此深信不疑?！霸谝獯罄泥l(xiāng)村或城市，最好和最重要的地方是廣場(chǎng)，中央廣場(chǎng)。傍晚，廣場(chǎng)上不再炎熱的時(shí)候，男女老少，各色人等來(lái)這里聚會(huì)。人們?cè)谶@里談天說(shuō)地，嬉笑怒罵，故事講得繪聲繪色、引人入勝。即使是最受歡迎的電視節(jié)目也無(wú)法影響意大利廣場(chǎng)的生活。

他的腦海中有一個(gè)廣場(chǎng)

在某種意義上來(lái)說(shuō)，路易吉·森托拉將他的廣場(chǎng)隨身攜帶——廣場(chǎng)就在他的腦海里。這里有各種想法孕育、爭(zhēng)吵、組合、茁壯成長(zhǎng)。他說(shuō)，他的力量是遠(yuǎn)見(jiàn)，而不是空中樓閣?！拔乙蚤_(kāi)放的態(tài)度在各個(gè)技術(shù)學(xué)科與各個(gè)領(lǐng)域的專(zhuān)家合作；我尋求與政客、贊助商、客戶(hù)聯(lián)系。我的項(xiàng)目有些只是提案、雄心勃勃的意圖——但總是腳踏實(shí)地?！绷钌欣信d趣的建筑不僅僅是建筑物?！拔业慕ㄖ仨毰c考古學(xué)、地理學(xué)、基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施、政治戰(zhàn)略、社會(huì)問(wèn)題和生態(tài)學(xué)有關(guān)?！弊钅苷f(shuō)明這一點(diǎn)的莫過(guò)于“穆里尼改造戰(zhàn)略”項(xiàng)目了，他憑借該項(xiàng)目榮獲歐洲地區(qū)豪瑞獎(jiǎng)金獎(jiǎng)、全球豪瑞獎(jiǎng)銀獎(jiǎng)——該項(xiàng)目位于路易吉·森托拉生活的中心——阿馬爾菲。

落入人間的天堂

“但阿馬爾菲的人在審判日升入天堂的時(shí)候，這一天對(duì)他們來(lái)說(shuō)與其他任何一天都毫無(wú)二致。”這是寫(xiě)在阿馬爾菲入口處一個(gè)標(biāo)牌上的話，意譯大致如此。這個(gè)小鎮(zhèn)坐落在粗獷的海岸線上，風(fēng)景如畫(huà)，簡(jiǎn)直是人間小天堂——正因如此，在炎炎夏日，到處是蜂擁而至的游客。阿馬爾菲的神奇難以言繪。似乎每一塊石頭都飽含著歷史。千百年來(lái)，這個(gè)小鎮(zhèn)一直是全球性的游玩圣地，如今鎮(zhèn)上已有5,500名居民。海上共和國(guó)阿馬爾菲控制了該地區(qū)的大部分領(lǐng)地和國(guó)際貿(mào)易。來(lái)自意大利南部的商人在他們的旅途中了解了世界的秘密。在12世紀(jì)，他們?cè)谥袊?guó)看到了如何造紙，同時(shí)也把檸檬帶回了家鄉(xiāng)。從那時(shí)起，阿馬爾菲就以檸檬和紙張而聞名。檸檬梯田果園廣泛種植，鱗次櫛比，構(gòu)成獨(dú)特的景觀。造紙推動(dòng)了經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展，用舊衣服破布制造的阿馬爾菲紙成為龍頭出口產(chǎn)品。小鎮(zhèn)后面沿坎奈托河一帶先后建起了無(wú)數(shù)小型造紙廠。從阿馬爾菲望去，這些造紙廠連成一串，向內(nèi)陸方向延綿3km，海拔從40m升到225m的高度。這些造紙廠經(jīng)過(guò)幾個(gè)世紀(jì)的精心打造，其間有足夠的距離，以最大限度的保存水力。

瀕危遺產(chǎn)

造紙廠給了人們工作，有些人靠造紙致富，甚至大富大貴。但這是很久以前的事了。當(dāng)人們從遠(yuǎn)方沿著海岸公路或從海上來(lái)到阿馬爾菲的時(shí)候，這個(gè)小鎮(zhèn)依然煥發(fā)著力量與信心。但是在這光芒四射的小鎮(zhèn)后面，“紙廠山谷”綿延在高山丘陵和老樹(shù)之間，阿馬爾菲呈現(xiàn)出截然不同的面貌，滿(mǎn)目滄桑。幾十年前，這些小廠還在生產(chǎn)一度風(fēng)行的紙張，如今早已破敗不堪。

到了現(xiàn)在，在2016年的夏天，它們成了令人印象深刻的廢墟和阿馬爾菲美好過(guò)往的見(jiàn)證。除了旅游業(yè)，該地區(qū)幾乎沒(méi)有任何企業(yè)為人們提供工作和收入。“每年寥寥幾個(gè)月的旅游業(yè)不足以維持阿馬爾菲的生存，” 路易吉·森托拉如是說(shuō)。年輕人，特別是受過(guò)良好教育的年輕人，都想遷往城市?！斑@除了導(dǎo)致人口問(wèn)題外，還會(huì)造成很多后果。海岸文化遺產(chǎn)有可能消失殆盡?！睕](méi)有了解并保持當(dāng)?shù)貍鹘y(tǒng)的居民，阿馬爾菲就失去了根。雖然還有許多梯田檸檬果園代表小鎮(zhèn)歷史，但很多其他的歷史遺跡都已經(jīng)無(wú)可挽回地毀滅了。阿馬爾菲的人工采摘檸檬沒(méi)有一絲機(jī)會(huì)在國(guó)際市場(chǎng)上與工業(yè)生產(chǎn)的檸檬競(jìng)爭(zhēng)。

文化熱點(diǎn)

早在幾年前，聯(lián)合國(guó)教科文組織就呼吁地中海國(guó)家保護(hù)其梯田山坡，這些山坡是這一帶海岸的獨(dú)特風(fēng)光，令人印象深刻。很多人還希望保存阿馬爾菲光輝經(jīng)濟(jì)歷史的活化石——造紙廠。幾年前，薩勒莫大學(xué)的地理學(xué)家瑪利亞-焦萬(wàn)娜·里塔諾教授開(kāi)始將瀕危建筑物登記為歷史建筑，指定40處建筑廢墟作為區(qū)域傳統(tǒng)的重要樣本。其中有15處位于紙廠山谷——遺產(chǎn)熱點(diǎn)。并決定在這里啟動(dòng)一個(gè)大型試點(diǎn)項(xiàng)目。2004年，路易吉·森托拉，這位熱愛(ài)這個(gè)地區(qū)并了解這里所有人民的富有遠(yuǎn)見(jiàn)卓識(shí)的傳播者，受該大學(xué)和薩勒莫省的委托，制定了穆里尼山谷總體發(fā)展計(jì)劃。

由水驅(qū)動(dòng)

路易吉·森托拉的設(shè)計(jì)理念預(yù)見(jiàn)到將山谷進(jìn)行徹底改造，以發(fā)展現(xiàn)代化可持續(xù)型旅游業(yè)。穆里尼山谷不應(yīng)變成木乃伊，也不應(yīng)變成博物館，而應(yīng)開(kāi)

3 曾經(jīng)的水電站改造成水力博物館和全景酒吧/Hydraulic museum and panoramic bar in a former hydroelectric power plant

4 水務(wù)及步道/Waterworks & promenade

5 曾經(jīng)的造紙廠改造的地中海健康水療中心/Mediterranean health spa in the former Lucibello-Confalone paper mill

6 檸檬梯田酒店/Lemon terraces hotel

Luigi Centola is relaxed in and around water. Te power of water also drives the most important project of the Roman architect – and could ensure that the cultural heritage of one of the world's most beautiful places is preserved.

"I am a man of the sea," tells Luigi Centola. "My favorite pastimes are swimming and fishing." No wonder – the architect, born in 1968, grew up in the port city of Salerno; he spends nearly all his free time at the nearby Amalfi coast, considered one of the most beautiful coastal areas in the world. Luigi Centola is not only a man of the sea, but a man of the word. When he is not plowing with sure strokes through the emerald-green waves off the shore from his weekend house, or drifting about on his small boat, he is practically always communicating. His cell phone rings continually; on the street, cars stop him again and again because the drivers know him and want to say hello.

Interaction as a principle of life

Enjoyment of exchange with others typifies not only his outings, but also his everyday professional life. Luigi Centola is not an architect who builds a lot (yet), but one who is involved in uncounted projects. He works for various universities, conducts competitions, negotiates with authorities, coordinates, talks with specialists – always calmly and with a sense of humor, but always with purpose. Centola is convinced that interacting with people is typically Italian. "Te best and most important place in an Italian village or city is the piazza, the central square." Here the people meet in the evening, when it's no longer so hot – old people, young people, women and men. Here the talk, the scolding, the laughter, the story-telling is wild and gesticulated. Not even the popular television set has been able to sweep life from the Italian piazza.

A piazza in his head

In a certain sense Luigi Centola carries his piazza along wherever he goes – in his head. Here ideas grow, quarrel, com-bine, thrive. His strength, says he, is vision – but not of castles in the air: "I work openly in various technical disciplines with specialists from all areas; I seek contact with politicians, sponsors, clients. Some of my projects are only proposals, ambitious intentions – but they are always realistic." Te architecture that interests Centola consists of much more than just buildings. "My architecture has to do with archeology, with geography, infrastructure, political strategies, social issues and ecology." Tere is no better exam-ple to illustrate this than the project "Renewal Strategy for the Mulini Valley," for which he won the Holcim Award Gold for the region Europe and the global Holcim Award Silver – and which is situated at the center of the universe in which Luigi Centola lives: in Amalfi.

Paradise falling

"When the people of Amalfi enter paradise on Judgment Day, this will be a day just like any other for them," it is written, freely translated, on a sign at the entrance to Amalfi. The town, picturesquely situated on the brusque coastline, is actually a little paradise on earth – which is why in the warm summer months it almost drowns in swarms of tourists. Amalfi has a magic that is hard to describe. Each stone seems to breathe history. For hundreds of years this small town, which today counts 5,500 residents, was a global player. Te maritime republic Amalfi controlled a great part of the region and the international trade. On their journeys the merchants from southern Italy became acquainted with the secrets of the world. In the 12th century they saw in China how paper is made, and in that era they brought home the lemon. From that time on, Amalfi would be known for its lemons and paper. Lemons shaped the landscape, as terraced lemon orchards spread extensively. Paper drove the economy, as Amalfi paper – made from old clothing – became a leading export product. Countless small paper factories sprang up along the small Canneto River in the ravine behind the town. From Amalfi the chain of mills stretched 3 kilometers inland, climbing from 40 to 225 meters in elevation. The mills were carefully built over the centuries with enough space between them to optimally conserve the waterpower.

Threatened heritage

The paper factories gave people work and made some of them rich, even very rich. But that was long ago. Amalfi still radiates strength and confidence when one approaches the town along the coastal road or from the sea. But behind the radiant town, where the "valley of the mills" stretches in the shadow of high hills and shade of old trees, Amalfi shows a completely different face – one that speaks of downfall. Te mills, where the once-fashionable paper was produced until a few decades ago, have long since deteriorated. Now, in the summer of 2006, they stand as impressive ruins and reminders of better times at Amalfi. Besides tourism, there are hardly any businesses left in the region that offer people work and income. "The few months of tourism each year is not enough to keep Amalfi alive," says Luigi Centola. The young people – especially the better educated ones –are moving to the cities. "This causes more than demographic problems. Te cultural heritage of the coast threatens to vanish." Without a population that knows and upholds local traditions, Amalfi will lose its roots. There are still many terraced lemon orchards with a lot of his-tory, but many others have already been hopelessly destroyed. Te hand-picked fruits from Amalfi have no chance to compete against industrially produced lemons on the international market.

Cultural hotspot

Already years ago UNESCO appealed to the Mediterranean countries to con-serve their terraced slopes, which so impressively characterize the coastlines. Many people also want to save the stone remains of the proud economic history of Amalfi –the paper mills. A few years ago Professor Mariagiovanna Riitano, geographer at the University of Salerno, began registering the endangered structures as historic buildings, designating the ruins of 40 buildings as significant examples of regional tradition. Fifteen of these buildings are in the valley of the mills – a hotspot of heritage. Te decision was made to launch a large pilot project here. In 2004 the university and Salerno Province commissioned Luigi Centola, the visionary communicator who knows all the people here and loves the region, to develop a master plan for Mulini Valley.

Driven by water

Te concept that Luigi Centola devised foresees the complete renewal of the valley for modern and sustainable tourism. Mulini Valley is not to be mummified – or museumified – but is to develop a whole new dynamic. Cen-tola's master plan includes 11 sub-pro-jects, each for a different former paper factory. These include hotels, artist studios, a museum, a parking garage at the entrance to the valley, and so forth. The plan calls for renovating 20,000 square meters of building substance.

The sub-projects all support one over-arching idea: returning vitality to the original driving force of the valley, waterpower. Tere were never motors in Mulini Valley because the mills were powered by the Canneto. The paper sheets were carried by發(fā)一個(gè)全新的動(dòng)力。森托拉的總計(jì)劃包括11個(gè)子項(xiàng)目，每個(gè)項(xiàng)目各針對(duì)一個(gè)舊造紙廠。其中包括酒店、藝術(shù)工作室、博物館、山谷入口處的停車(chē)場(chǎng)等等。該計(jì)劃要求翻新20,000m2的建筑物。

這些子項(xiàng)目都支持一個(gè)總體理念：給山谷的原始驅(qū)動(dòng)力——水力，重新注入活力。穆里尼山谷從未用過(guò)電機(jī)，因?yàn)檫@些紙廠都是靠坎耐托河提供動(dòng)力。 造出的紙全部由驢子馱進(jìn)城里。從未建成一條街——所以在將來(lái)，人們到達(dá)穆里尼山谷改造后的建筑不是乘汽車(chē)，而是靠3種類(lèi)型的水力電梯：浮動(dòng)平臺(tái)、壓力和可變重量。還將建造一條水力索道來(lái)運(yùn)輸材料和貨物——包括檸檬。

當(dāng)初唯一可用而今最干凈的能源

森托拉的計(jì)劃要求在3個(gè)關(guān)鍵方面使用水。首先，恢復(fù)水渠系統(tǒng)為梯田排屋提供水和空調(diào)。其次，水力驅(qū)動(dòng)水力機(jī)械：電梯、起重機(jī)、泵、運(yùn)輸和冷卻系統(tǒng)。第三，水力將被用作可再生能源。各種應(yīng)用顯示了使用水力來(lái)提供能源的多種選擇?！懊總€(gè)子項(xiàng)目都有技術(shù)創(chuàng)新；替代性能源無(wú)處不在，” 森托拉自豪地說(shuō)，“我們的祖先使用水，因?yàn)槟菚r(shí)在山谷中水是唯一可用的能源；如今我們使用水，因?yàn)樗歉蓛舻哪茉础！?/p>

國(guó)際性跨學(xué)科團(tuán)隊(duì)合作

森托拉為每個(gè)子項(xiàng)目各聘用一個(gè)建筑師或辦公室。共有來(lái)自意大利、西班牙、美國(guó)和英國(guó)的150人，制定了山谷改造戰(zhàn)略的細(xì)則。這種國(guó)際性跨學(xué)科團(tuán)隊(duì)合作是許多可持續(xù)建筑項(xiàng)目的特色。有些顧問(wèn)已經(jīng)與森托拉相識(shí)多年；有些建筑師曾在意大利或英格蘭與他一起求學(xué)。“所有人員都非常適合這個(gè)項(xiàng)目，”他說(shuō)，“他們具備必要的技術(shù)知識(shí)和正確的愿景?！彪S著各種設(shè)想的被研究、討論、駁回、修訂和發(fā)展，這個(gè)項(xiàng)目成為一種平臺(tái)，一個(gè)廣場(chǎng)?！凹磿r(shí)這個(gè)過(guò)程不會(huì)使工作更容易，我也從一開(kāi)始就知道，我希望與許多不同的建筑師共同為此努力，” 路易吉·森托拉說(shuō)，“這讓山谷名副其實(shí)地豐富多彩！”

500份工作，1000名游客

盡管有國(guó)際參與，但本戰(zhàn)略絕不是強(qiáng)加給本地人的外國(guó)專(zhuān)家的創(chuàng)造。路易吉·森托拉不斷地咨詢(xún)區(qū)域?qū)＜?，因?yàn)椤斑@樣一個(gè)項(xiàng)目只有靠深刻了解本地的人才能實(shí)現(xiàn)。我們所需要的知識(shí)源于此處。比如，我們正與那些指導(dǎo)如何在當(dāng)?shù)貤l件下建造干瓦石墻的人合作”。本項(xiàng)目幾乎沒(méi)有遇到任何阻力；在阿馬爾菲，每個(gè)人都與檸檬和造紙傳統(tǒng)有關(guān)——爺爺在造紙廠工作；家里一直種檸檬。在展覽會(huì)上展示本項(xiàng)目并與人們討論。“年輕人反應(yīng)熱烈。老年人當(dāng)然有些恐懼?！钡诖似陂g，他們開(kāi)始相信本項(xiàng)目的長(zhǎng)期重要性；穆里尼山谷的復(fù)興最終將創(chuàng)造大約500個(gè)長(zhǎng)期工作。據(jù)估計(jì)，每天將有1000名游客來(lái)到翻修一新的建筑中參加會(huì)議、享受悠閑的假期，或利用健康計(jì)劃的優(yōu)勢(shì)。游客可以在各類(lèi)酒店的300張床位中自由選擇。

所需行動(dòng)

在第一批客人能夠在紙廠山谷過(guò)夜的時(shí)候，將有海水沿坎耐托河順流而下。許多建筑物的狀態(tài)極差，幾乎沒(méi)有一樣?xùn)|西可以用于新建筑——幾段基礎(chǔ)墻，一個(gè)基本的建筑理念——當(dāng)然，還有無(wú)與倫比的位置。有人認(rèn)為這些殘破的廢墟幾乎永遠(yuǎn)也不能成為酒店或工作室?！暗?，所有的東西都可以用鋼筋來(lái)穩(wěn)定。” 森托拉說(shuō)。計(jì)劃將舊結(jié)構(gòu)包裹在鋼架外殼中。“如果50年后，有人想出新的山谷改造方法，這些外殼很容易拆除——那時(shí)，就有人再次站在我們今天所站的地方。”建筑物的不利條件反倒是一個(gè)很好的項(xiàng)目合作伙伴，森托拉笑道，“如果我們現(xiàn)在什么都不做，這些建筑很快就會(huì)倒塌——如果倒進(jìn)水里，就會(huì)導(dǎo)致很多問(wèn)題，那會(huì)付出非常昂貴的代價(jià)?！?/p>

純手工

因此，需要采取行動(dòng)，并且，在任何情況下，都必須將大量的金錢(qián)投入的紙廠山谷中，森托拉的總計(jì)劃所需要的投資額約為1.2億歐元。其中的30%將由公共當(dāng)局將捐助；其余資金須由私人投資者籌集。實(shí)現(xiàn)這個(gè)雄心勃勃的項(xiàng)目計(jì)劃耗期10年。一個(gè)原因是，進(jìn)入施工現(xiàn)場(chǎng)的通道狀態(tài)太差。大型施工設(shè)備和機(jī)器無(wú)法像沿岸其他地方那樣開(kāi)進(jìn)工地?！斑@里的法則是手工，” 森托拉說(shuō)，“因此這里的修復(fù)費(fèi)用是其他地方的兩倍?！笨傆?jì)劃要求將原有建筑材料回收再利用，這不僅是出于生態(tài)原因，也有經(jīng)濟(jì)原因。

“可持續(xù)發(fā)展將成為自然！”

阿馬爾菲的歷史以造紙和檸檬為核心，因此“穆里尼山谷水力改造戰(zhàn)略”治理的不僅僅是工廠廢墟。森托拉的目標(biāo)是保存25hm2的梯田檸檬果園，如今這些果園很難到達(dá)、很難灌溉?！斑@是對(duì)保護(hù)文化遺產(chǎn)和當(dāng)?shù)亟?jīng)濟(jì)的一個(gè)雖小但很重要的共享。如果我們不能保存這些果園，就會(huì)有2000名小生產(chǎn)者失去收入來(lái)源——阿馬爾菲海岸也將失去其獨(dú)特風(fēng)貌?！痹谝獯罄?，傳統(tǒng)意識(shí)很強(qiáng)，可持續(xù)性建筑的重要性意識(shí)也在增長(zhǎng)，路易吉·森托拉相信：“一百年前，羅馬競(jìng)技場(chǎng)被用作采石場(chǎng)引不起任何人關(guān)注，羅馬人還會(huì)把競(jìng)技場(chǎng)的大理石用到新建筑中。這在今天簡(jiǎn)直是不可思議的。人們已經(jīng)開(kāi)始反思，用不了幾年，可持續(xù)性發(fā)展將是完全自然的?！币苍S，為了能夠認(rèn)識(shí)到景觀的價(jià)值，有必要摧毀很多東西?！把刂┙ㄔ炝顺舐墓I(yè)建筑——今天我們已經(jīng)認(rèn)識(shí)到它們的副作用，從經(jīng)驗(yàn)中學(xué)到教訓(xùn)?！?/p>

不同時(shí)代之間的對(duì)話

因?yàn)榭傮w計(jì)劃在此期間獲得了廣泛的支持，所以對(duì)于路易吉·森托拉來(lái)說(shuō)是沒(méi)有任何問(wèn)題的：“我們會(huì)認(rèn)識(shí)到的。在兩三年內(nèi)，第一批建筑就會(huì)建成?！彪y道就沒(méi)有迅速建成更多商業(yè)化的子項(xiàng)目（酒店、青年旅舍），而以可持續(xù)發(fā)展為導(dǎo)向的方面（關(guān)于水力、生態(tài)和文化遺產(chǎn)）可能被擱置一邊的危險(xiǎn)嗎？森托拉猶豫了。他知道人們的務(wù)實(shí)主義。然后他說(shuō)：“我認(rèn)為不會(huì)出現(xiàn)這種情況。每個(gè)部分都與其他部分緊密關(guān)聯(lián)。你不能只管一部分而置其他部分于不顧——沒(méi)有水力，整個(gè)項(xiàng)目都會(huì)失去信譽(yù)?！庇斡[過(guò)山谷或聽(tīng)說(shuō)過(guò)本項(xiàng)目的每個(gè)人都應(yīng)該明白以妥善且可持續(xù)的方式使用自然資源的重要性。路易吉·森托拉反復(fù)強(qiáng)調(diào)本項(xiàng)目的整體性有多么重要——這種整體性使它可持續(xù)?！拔覀儾粌H僅是修復(fù)老建筑，我們要在昨天、今天和明天之間建立一個(gè)對(duì)話?！辈煌瑫r(shí)代之間的對(duì)話——這是既熱愛(ài)傳統(tǒng)也熱愛(ài)現(xiàn)代化的傳播者路易吉·森托拉理所當(dāng)然喜歡的東西。“是的，這可能是我今生最令人興奮的項(xiàng)目！”（馬里烏斯·羅通艾格 文）donkey into the town. A street was never built –and so in the future one will reach the reno-vated buildings of Mulini Valley not by car but by waterpowered elevators of 3 types: floating platform, pressure, and variable weight. And a water-powered cableway will be built to transport materials and goods – including lemons.

7 曾經(jīng)的造紙廠改造成流水住宅及工作室與慢食中心/ Waterfall home + studios and slow food in the former Marino paper mill

8 停車(chē)場(chǎng)與河道改造、地下車(chē)庫(kù)/Car park and river remodeling, underground garage

9 曾經(jīng)的肥皂廠改為土特產(chǎn)商店/Local product shop in a former soap factory

Then the only energy source, today the cleanest

Centola's plan calls for using the water in 3 key ways. First, the water channel system will be restored to supply the terraced houses with water and air conditioning. Second, water will power hydro-mechanical machines: elevators, cranes, pumps, and transport and cooling systems. And third, waterpower will be harnessed as a renewable energy source. The various applications show the diverse options of using waterpower to supply energy. "Each sub-project is marked by technological innovation; alternative energy is involved everywhere," boasts Centola. "Our ancestors used the water because it was the only available energy source in the valley – we use it now because it is a clean energy source."

International and interdisciplinary teamwork

Centola hired another architect or office to handle each sub-project. 150 people in Italy, Spain, the USA and the UK, worked out the details of the renewal strategy. Such international and interdisciplinary teamwork is typical of many sustainable construction projects. Some of the consultants have known Centola for years; some architects studied with him in Italy or England. "All are extremely well suited for this project," he says. "They have the necessary technical understanding and the right vision." As ideas were studied, discussed, rejected, revised, and developed, the project became a sort of platform, a piazza. "Even if this process by no means made the work easier, I knew from the beginning that I wanted to work with many different architects on this," tells Luigi Centola. "Tis gives the valley true richness!"

500 jobs, 1000 visitors

In spite of the international participation, the strategy is not a creation of foreign specialists that is being forced on the locals. Luigi Centola constantly consults regional specialists because "such a project can be realized only by people who know the land. The knowledge we need originates here. We are working with people who know for instance how to build dry rubble stone walls under the local conditions." The project has hardly met resistance; in Amalfi everyone is associated with the tradition of lemons and paper – Grandpa worked in the paper mill; the family has always grown lemons. The project is presented at exhibits and discussed with the people. "Young people react enthusiastically. Older people of course have some fears." But in the meantime even they have become convinced of the long-term importance of the project; the revitalization of the Mulini Valley will ultimately create about 500 long-term jobs. One estimates that a thousand visitors a day will come to the renovated buildings to attend meetings, enjoy leisurely vacations, or take advantage of well-ness programs. Visitors will have a choice of 300 beds in hotels of various categories.

Action required

A sea of water will have flowed down the Canneto by the time the first guests will be able to stay the night in the valley of the mills. Many of the buildings are in pathetic condition; there is hardly anything here that could be used for new construction – a few foundation walls, a basic architectural idea – and of course the extraordinary location. One thinks the dilapidated ruins are hardly capable of some day housing a hotel or a studio. "But every-thing can be stabilized with steel," tells Centola. Te plan is to wrap the old structures in a steel-framed shell. "This can be easily removed say in 50 years, when one has new ideas for the valley – and then one will stand again where we stand today." Te poor condition of the buildings is a good project partner, chuckles Centola. "Te buildings will collapse soon if we don't do something now – and if one falls into the water it will cause a lot of problems and will be very expensive."

Only handwork

The need for action is thus given, and in any case a lot of money must be invested in the valley of the mills. Te investment called for by Centola's mas-ter plan amounts to about 120 million euros. Public authorities will contribute 30 percent; the rest must come from private investors. Te schedule for realizing the ambitious project extends over 10 years. One reason is that access to the construction sites is so poor. One cannot drive to the site with large construction equipment and machines, as one can everywhere else along the coast. "Here handwork is the rule," says Centola, "that's why restorations here cost about twice as much as elsewhere." Tat the master plan calls for the recycling and reuse of the original building material thus has not only ecological but also economic reasons.

"Sustainability will become natural!"

Amalfi's history revolves around paper and lemons, and therefore "Waterpower – Renewal Strategy for the Mulini Valley" treats more than just the mill ruins. Centola aims to conserve 25 hectares of terraced lemon orchards, which are now difficult to reach and irrigate. "Tat's a small but important contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and to the local economy. If we fail to maintain these orchards, 2000 small producers will lose their income – and the Amalfi coast will lose its face." In Italy the awareness of tradition is great, and the awareness of the importance of sustainable construction is also growing, Luigi Centola is convinced: "A hundred years ago nobody cared that the Coliseum in Rome was being used as a quarry, that the Romans were taking the marble to use in new buildings. Today this would be unimaginable. A rethinking has occurred, and in few years sustainability will be completely natural." Perhaps to be able to recognize the value of the landscape it was also necessary to destroy a lot of things. "Horrible industrial buildings have been built along the beaches – today we recognize the negative effects and learn from the experience."

A dialog among the epochs

Because his master plan in the mean-time has gained very broad support, there is no question for Luigi Centola: "We will realize it. In two or three years the first buildings will be standing." Isn't there a danger that the more commercially oriented subprojects – the hotel, the youth hostel – will be built quickly and the sustainability-oriented aspects –regarding water power, ecology, and cultural heritage – might get pushed to the side? Centola hesitates. He knows the pragmatism of the people. Then he says: "I don't think so. Each part is strongly linked with the other parts. You can't do one part and leave the other out – without water-power the entire project would lose its credibility." Everyone who visits the valley or hears about the project should know how important it is to use natural resources in a thoughtful and sustain-able way. Luigi Centola repeatedly stresses how important the whole of the project is – this entirety is what makes it sustainable. "We are not just renovating old buildings – we are establishing a dialog between yester-day, today, and tomorrow." A conversation among the epochs –that's something the communicator Luigi Centola, who loves tradition just as much as modernity, of course likes. "Yes, this could be the most exciting project of my life!"(Text: Marius Leutenegger)

10 曾經(jīng)的水電站改為可替代能源展示/Alternative energy display in a former hydroelectric power plant