Page 221 - Beyond Decommissioning

202 Beyond Decommissioning

6.2.3.1 Stazione Leopolda, Florence, Italy

Historically, Stazione (Station) Leopolda was the first train station in Florence, Italy.
Completed in 1848 and named “Leopolda” in honor of the reigning Grand Duke, the
station was the last stop of the first public railroad in Tuscany, which linked Leghorn
to Florence.
Shortly after the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861, all rail traffic was
routed to the other terminal named “Santa Maria Novella” and the Leopolda station
gradually declined, never again to regain its initial scope. Eventually, after WWII the
main remaining feature of Leopolda had a central hall used as a store of railway
materials.
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A few steps away from the very center of Florence, the 6000 m Stazione
Leopolda is now a place where ancient and modern beauty merge. Over the
last few years, it has evolved from the ancient train station into a creativity
center including, among others, international conferences and fashion events
(The Florentine, 2017).

6.2.3.2 Stazione Ostiense, Rome, Italy
The redevelopment of Stazione Ostiense, Rome, tells an entirely different story.
Formorethan20years, the glass-domed Air Terminal next to the rail lines of
Stazione Ostiense lay semi-abandoned. Squatters occupied most of its spaces,
and the surroundings were quite squalid. Then, in 2010, the supermarket chain
Eataly began converting the structure into its largest branch. The complex opened
in June 2012, exhibiting a wealth of traditional and upper-class Italian food.
Within a four-story building. Eataly includes large retail space, restaurants and
cafes, a coffee roaster, a brewery, a cooking school, and even a travel agency
(NYT, 2012)(Fig. 6.22).

6.2.3.3 Michigan Central Station, Detroit, MI, USA

As part of the overall Corktown Campus project, plans are well underway to trans-
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form Michigan Central Station into a 46,000 m research hub for car companyFord
including among others the design of self-driving vehicles. These plans involve the
overhaul of the historic building, which has been in neglect for 30 years since the
train station was used last (1988), as well as nearby facilities to form a mixed-use
redevelopment in central Detroit. The Corktown Campus project is expected to be
completed by 2022.
Inside the former railway station are marble walls and vaulted ceilings, looking like
a Roman bathhouse. A large hall with Doric columns originally housed a ticket office
and shops, while central train concourse had brick walls and a large copper skylight.
Plans also include restaurant and retail spaces on the ground floor, with residential
uses planned across the upper floors (Dezeen, 2018d).