The Molo district plan. A turning point in Renzo Piano’s work in Genoa

This article investigates the renovation plan for the Molo district in Genoa (Italy) designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop. The article seeks to highlight how this project was a critical moment in Renzo Piano’s architectural research in Genoa. Although it was never carried out, the plan enabled Piano to experiment and to explore design approaches to architectural and urban renovation through the creation of public spaces. By analysing the evolution of the multiple versions of the plan, the paper also shows a crucial shift in Piano’s focus as it turned from the redevelopment of the urban fabric to the redefinition of the relationship between the city and the sea. This transition laid the foundation for his subsequent work on Genoa’s waterfront and culminated in the Porto Antico plan for the 1992 International Specialized Exposition. Drawing on extensive archival research supported by the Renzo Piano Foundation, this study offers an in-depth examination of the plan’s structure, including of the development of the Service Hub proposal. By offering an in-depth analysis of previously underexplored archival materials, this paper fills a significant gap in existing scholarship and underscores the lasting impact of the Molo plan on Renzo Piano’s work on Genoa’s waterfront.