| Italy. The New Marina di Varazze |
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; "New Marina di Varazze")
| Tuesday, 02 May 2006 | |
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Marina news: The new Marina di Varazze, the most modern structure along Italy’s west coast, is now operative. The tourist port is within easy reach of Italy’s larger northern cities and central Europe and is destined to enhance the coastline of the Ligurian town while respecting local traditional architecture. The over 800 newly created moorings are offered based on innovative usage formulas and the port also includes a number of luxurious sea front apartments as well as shops, cafes and restaurants. Open all year round, this tourist haven is fast becoming a point of reference for those wishing to spend their leisure time in an exclusive environment. The modern complex and services will continue to be managed by the proprietors. The Marina di Varazze, with over 800 berths for boats up to 35 metres in length, has finally become a reality that blends harmoniously with the surrounding areas has transformed Varazze into one of the most fascinating ports of call along the western Ligurian coastline. The tourist port enjoys a privileged position, surrounded by rich green countryside though just 5 minutes from the heart of the characteristic Ligurian town, located centrally along the western coastline, which is served by both the Varazze and Savona railway stations. Genoa’s Cristoforo Colombo International airport is only 15 miles away while Turin and Milan are each less than 100 miles away by motorway. The modern complex covers a total area of approximately 57 acres, with a water surface area in excess of 35 acres, and includes luxury sea-facing apartments, all with independent air-conditioning, parking for 900 vehicles in both covered and open areas serving the entire complex, restaurants, bars and shops. The architectural, environmental and landscaping project was designed by the Turin based architects Roberto Gabetti and Aimaro Isola, founders of one the most prestigious architectural studios in Italy, together with the Varazze based architect Pietro Venezia, and comprises of eight buildings constructed in iroko wood with natural stone cladding and antiquated copper roofs. The design was inspired by the Ligurian seaside structures of the early twentieth century and the buildings follow the curving line of the wharf. “Wood was chosen as the dominating element for these light and airy buildings in typical Ligurian colours,” commented Giovanna Vitelli, sales manager for Marinas and Real Estate, the Azimut-Benetti Division that also deals with the development of ports and harbour facilities. The works at sea that have been carried out include a new wharf with three fixed piers, each with transverse jetties. The piers to the east of the port, some fixed and some floating, are reserved exclusively for sailing yachts while the fixed piers in the three areas to the west cater exclusively to motor yachts. The elegant shopping arcade, rich in boutiques restaurants, is more than able to satisfy even the more discerning. Those that have chosen to be present at Marina di Varazze include Timberland, La Rosa dei Venti – top quality clothing - Bozzano Gioielli and Lusso Nautica. Restaurants include the Pizzeria Lanpo, fitted out as an old galleon inspired by an antique xebec that was the coastal defence emblem of a valiant corsair from Varazze against the English during Napoleon times, Pesce Pazzo, specialized in fish and seafood and the Bocche di Ponente. Other premises due to open soon include the Babilionia Restaurant, the Bar Centrale – serving coffee, aperitifs and light snacks - the Verde Mandarino ice-cream parlour, Euronautica - Azimut Dealers - and the brokers Motonautica. All commercial premises are connected to a centralized air-conditioning/heating system that uses seawater as a liquid refrigerant during the summer and as a source of heat during the winter. This system saves a considerable amount of energy and does not release pollutant gasses into the atmosphere. The evening illumination enhances the discrete elegance of the quayside and raised walkway that runs in front of the central buildings. Over the sea the service lights on the posts and the blue lamps indicating footways highlight the piers and tiny luminous points on Punta Aspera mark out the romantic pathways that wind through the greenery. The entire harbour area has Wi Fi coverage that includes not only the possibility of connecting to internet but also interactive phone and data exchange systems using portable handsets, at costs that are decidedly inferior to those of cellular phones, and wireless reception of television programmes and films. Attention to aesthetics within the complex has not been limited to the architecture of the buildings: greenery was and is one of the main aspects dealt with by the project. The tourist complex is characterized by ample areas with plants and flowers and a garden, covering almost an acre of grounds formerly used as a dumping area, has been created on the Punta Aspera headland. The new Marina di Varazze is to be a resort for all seasons, a meeting place that as well as welcoming boats and seafarers has been designed as a central point of attraction for residents and discerning tourists. The Marina is destined to supply all the necessary services required by boat owners, even out of season, and to offer a service-rich environment that may be enjoyed, not only by those who have decided to purchase one of the luxurious sea-facing apartments, but also by those who adore shopping or fine cuisine and wish to pass their day or weekend in refined surroundings away from the dull and grey of the city. The story behind the project of a modern marina In 1981 Paolo Vitelli, president of Azimut-Benetti, who through the Marinas and Real Estate Division also deals with the development of new ports, took over the proprietorship of the submission of the preparatory act for the issue, by the state, of planning permission with regard to the expansion of Varazze’s tourist port and in so doing acquired the right to develop the project. Long bureaucratic procedures and works performed in record time have given way to the creation of a modern marina, fully equipped with a complete range of services and a luxurious residential complex. Having acquired the development rights in 1981, Paolo Vitelli, President of Azimut-Benetti, a company that is also involved with the development of new ports and harbours through its Marinas and Real Estate Division, foresaw that Varazze’s small harbour, recently renovated through public funding, possessed the potential to be expanded and become an important reference point for Mediterranean seafaring. Vitelli gave an immediate go ahead to begin architectural and maritime studies to confer reality to what at that time was just an idea. To conceive such a great and prestigious opera Vitelli requested the services of the architects Roberto Gabetti and Aimaro Isola, based in Turin, together with the architect Pietro Venezia, based in Varazze, and an expert on the location and traditional architecture. Maritime engineering was entrusted to the engineers Giancarlo Bussetti and Francesco Cozzi, based in Genoa and the project regarding illumination to the engineer Paolo Soardo, president of the UNI Technical Commission for “the Application of Lighting Techniques”. The operation proved complex and much longer than expected “there were moments of great delusion and discouragement and at times I felt like dropping it all and selling the project,” Paolo Vitelli now admits. It is in fact his tenacity that allows him to get over such moments. The first version of the project dates back to 1975 and four other followed between 1982 and 1993 to find the most suitable solution to meet with the environmental conditions so as not to disturb the Varazze coastal equilibrium. In May 2002 approval was granted by the Varazze Municipality, the Ligurian Region and all the other relevant authorities and governing bodies united at the “Conferenza di Servizi” (Services Conference). Works began in January 2003. The Milan based company Martora Costruzioni S.p.A. was awarded the contract for the works on land and Sider Iteras S.p.A., based in Bologna for those at sea. A total of 500,000 hours were estimated for completion. The new marina began to take shape and become a reality. The works to defend the basin soon defined the future sheet of harbour water, which now laps against the arch-shaped quayside as it follows the natural curve of the coastline. While the main building on land was being built (a structure in iroko wood, a product characterized by resistance to external agents and coastal humidity), equipment, systems and sub services the works at sea continued: three piers on posts leading from the quay with secondary ramifications replicating the same curve of the quayside to create an original configuration similar to an amphitheatre. Attention to environmental aspects was also at the forefront: four service points have been installed along the quay with suction terminals for bilge and sewage water tank disposal. The meteoric water collected from the grounds around the warehouses and the water used to wash down keels is directed through a chemical-physical treatment plant before being discharged into the communal sewage system. At the end of August 2005, twenty months after the old port had been closed, the first boats were moored along the central pier of the new marina, the first to be certified by the Savona Port Authority after technical tests had been carried out by the Monitoring and Inspection Commission as specified by Italian Laws. |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 02 May 2006 ) |
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