INOUTarchitettura has designed the Piazza Cortevecchia, a new urban square in Ferrara, Italy.

The Piazza Cortevecchia is a tree-lined square, fully accessible void suitable for hosting a variety of events and activities, where the presence of underground utilities and archaeological remains made it necessary to plant trees at higher levels.

A specific atolls emerge from the ground in material continuity with it, with a section that softly connects to the level of the square.

"This project goes deeper than the pavement and the bedding layers, imagining an equally crucial underground square which defines a highly innovative underground space that transforms rainwater from a potential problem to a precious resource," said Piazza Cortevecchia.

This project has been longlisted in the landscape and urban design category of Dezeen Awards 2025.

Studio: INOUTarchitettura
Project: Piazza Cortevecchia
Credits: Mario Benedetto, Valentina Milani, Giovanni Gibertini, Giulio Marchetti, David Voltan, Giovanni Morelli and Municipality of Ferrara