At Nola, we believe that well-designed public furniture can transform not only a site, but the way people connect with it, and with each other. This belief recently found expression in northern Italy, where Ghisellini Architetti have turned a forgotten stretch of land in Reggio Emilia into the Green Kilometer: a new park that is at once a green lung and a social heart for the city.
The site had long been an urban void, abandoned and overlooked. “We wanted to turn a place that essentially didn’t exist into a new center point, to create a surprising landscape from nothing while respecting the traces of history that remained,” explains Tomas Ghisellini, founder of Ghisellini Architetti. The aim was to attract people, to let presence itself become the strongest form of stewardship and safety.
From the beginning, the project was conceived as open, inclusive and accessible. No fences, no restrictions – simply a space that could breathe, welcome all ages, and offer relief from the surrounding mineral character of the municipality. Dense planting creates protective greenery, while pathways, open lawns and shaded corners make the park flexible for everything from rest to activity.
To support this vision, Ghisellini Architetti turned to Nola. “We chose Nola’s furnishings for their uncommon lightness, elegance, and the softness of their formal language. For us, it was essential that the furniture dedicated to social interaction carried an almost domestic character, welcoming, playful, and friendly.”
The result is a series of microarchitectural settings within the park: lounge areas with our Korg armchairs and benches, parasols from the Four Seasons series providing shade and identity, and sun loungers that invite people to rest in the midday sun. These elements may be modest in scale, but they anchor the park socially and visually, creating places to pause, meet and belong. They have quickly become so popular that queues often form, a testament to the demand for inclusive and comfortable public design.
For us, Green Kilometer is a strong example of what happens when Nordic design traditions meet Mediterranean context: furniture that is durable, yet visually light; playful, yet robust enough for everyday use. It shows how microarchitecture – a bench, a parasol, a hammock – can reshape an environment without dominating it, making space rather than taking it.
Since opening, the park has drawn not only locals but also visitors from nearby cities and even students of architecture and landscape. As Ghisellini reflects: “The park is rapidly becoming a place where new memories are built, and a new collective awareness emerges.”
At Nola, we see this project as proof of how design can bridge cultures and climates, and how thoughtfully placed furniture can turn empty ground into a living, breathing part of the city.
