His project for a new community center with a light rail station for Scandicci continues the master plan for the city, developed by his workshop in 2003. Next to the existing town hall building, in the future, there will be a cultural center, a residential building and an office tower, as well as a light canopy made of metal sun screens, which will serve as a stop for a tram line to Florentine Santa Maria Novella train station.
The buildings will be located around the new square, where trees will be planted and benches will be placed. The pavement with stone slabs of this space will allow it to be used for fairs, concerts, holidays. In the eastern part of the square, there will be a cultural center for exhibitions, concerts and conferences: its size and free plan will allow the Scandicci authorities to host larger and more varied cultural events than before. A tram line will run from the south, and there will be a stop there, connected to a 6-storey residential building. In the southeast corner, between the cultural center and the house, an office tower 31 m high will be built, which will become a visual reference point for the new complex. Shops and cafes will be opened on the lower floors of all buildings of the ensemble, which should ensure an active city life on the square from early morning until late evening.
Among the "green" elements of the project are the use of solar energy for heating water and generating electricity, as well as a green roof for the cultural center.
The Scandicci authorities approved Rogers' project last month, and construction is due to begin in late October 2009.
