New energy spaces

New architectural designs: 4 competitions get under way

The energy transition – to which we are committed – also concerns the redesigning of power plants to make them more sustainable and more circular. For this reason we have launched four competitions which are open to professional architects and engineers with a view to selecting the best new architectural solutions for the plants. These facilities will be transformed from coal-fired power stations into increasingly modern and efficient power plants which combine energy production from natural gas and renewable sources, as well as batteries for energy storage.

The plants in question are the Eugenio Montale in La Spezia, the Andrea Palladio in Venice, the Torrevaldaliga Nord in Civitavecchia and the Federico II in Brindisi.

Goals

The main goal is to create genuine energy centres that are increasingly integrated with their local environment, reducing the impact on the landscape, thanks to a new idea of what a power plant can be. These facilities will in fact include open spaces made available for local communities to use and the successful designs will be based on the principles of sustainability, circularity and innovation. With the launch of these competitions we aim to communicate our commitment to the decarbonisation of electricity generation and the conversion of sites into iconic features of the energy transition and points of reference for the local area.

At the same time we aim to reinforce the role of these energy sites, involving local stakeholders in all stages of the transformation process. 

Contests

The contests (launched on July 13 and now concluded) were open to architecture and engineering professionals, with a particular emphasis on younger candidates. The contests enjoyed the technical and scientific support of local universities, in particular the University of Genoa for Eugenio Montale, the IUAV University of Venice for Andrea Palladio, the Tuscia University for Torrevaldaliga Nord, and the University of Salento for Federico II.

Participants were required to present a budget and a technical project proposal for the planned interventions, respecting the criteria outlined by Enel. The proposals are currently in the phase of being evaluated by a commission of representatives from Enel, universities, and local institutions.

The main evaluation criteria are:

• modularity of the project based on the various phases of the plant’s conversion;
• usability by the community;
• design and visual impact;
• social and environmental sustainability of the proposal, with particular attention to circularity and the reuse of existing structures and infrastructure;
• technological innovation.

Using these criteria, on 21 April 2021, 16 June 2021 and 16 September 2021, the respective Selection Committees for the Fusina, Torrevaldaliga Nord and Brindisi power plant contests assessed the submitted projects and compiled the final rankings. Browse the map and find out more on the dedicated fact sheets.

The winners, in addition to the cash prize, will be handed the architectural planning of their proposal in order to ensure the consistency and quality of the project’s realization.

The detailed planning of the proposal will be launched by the end of 2021 with the goal of using it to create the new plants, for which the authorization procedures are currently under way.