Piazza del Marchese Paolo: an architectural and soundscape design to redevelop an outdoor public space

This paper will report about a design procedure regarding the redevelopment of an open square located in the historical center of Città di Castello, Italy. The square has five entrances and it is surrounded by old buildings. The Public Library of the town is also located at this place. Currently, the square is used as a parking lot. The goal of the design is to redevelop this square matching the given context. For the design procedure, first, the visual and acoustical status of the place will be described. Second, binaural recordings will be carried out to measure the acoustical climate and third, soundwalks will be conducted to help to detect the soundmarks of the area. Moreover, the idea is to transform the space in a pedestrian area and to consider the square as an acoustical “outdoor floor” for the library. The design process will be focused on the preservation of the genuine Soundscape