Gabicce Mare is a small coastal city on the Adriatic sea that relies completely on the tourists infux during the summer season. During the the ‘70s, the settlement has grown unplanned and chaotic according to the individual longing of the local developers, who, out of the blue, found themselves Hotel managers. On the other hand the locality is placed in an exceptional spot along the Adriatic coast, as the San Bartolo hill, a natural
reservoir, breaks the monotonous, flat, sandy landscape of the Emilia Romagna region.

The proposal focuses on restoring the lost balance between nature and urbanity in order to achieve a coherent ecosystem that, while preserving the existing assets, could compete with the glittering, all aperitif and
disco, neighbouring cities. The urban strategy focuses on a suturing approach. Five trasversal squares are identifed and enhanced in the existing fabric: trough small demolitions, surface treatements and
levels adjustemnts these places creates iconic voids amindst the too dense waterfront, and reconnect the rear city to the sea, both visually and physically. The squares are perpendicularly tied by the new waterfront. This promenade extends the mediterranean landscape of San Bortolo right trough the city, and gently creates an hybrid space of transition between the tall hotels and the soft beach.