The project proposes a new sailing center – together with a guesthouse and related services – to be realized in one of the former compounds of the Island of Asinara high security prison. Asinara (the “donkeys island”), a place characterized today by the beauty of an incredibly untouched landscape, was entirely used as a prison till the end of the 90s. Considered, together with the Pianosa Island the Italian Alcatraz, the prison was made of several compounds, each hosting prisoners convicted for different offenses. During the Years of Lead, and after the bombs of the early 90s, some branches and in one specific case an entire compound were dedicated to host individuals convicted for serious offences.

The courtyard of the former prison becomes the new central space of the sailing center. It’s conceived to be a meeting place, a precious botanical garden where typical, rare and endemic arborous species are planted.

A shadowing system, consisting of light sailings supported by a metallic structure, ensures the usability of the open spaces even in the summer’s days. Two paths connect the existing structures: a slow one leads to observation’s points that frame specific glimpses of the beautiful landscape; the quicker one leads to the technical diving’s wharf, passing through the courtyard and the stony historical path. The new walkways are designed according to the existing slopes, the berms and the typical dry stonewalls.