I am trying hard to appreciate a plan to put a 19-acre vineyard on the roof of a new terminal building for Amerigo Vespucci airport in Florence, from which wine will be “crafted and aged in specialized cellars beneath the terminal’s roof”. This idea will, it’s reported, contribute to the building’s sustainability rating, “while crystallising Italy’s rich artisanal traditions”.
I’m always up for designs that try to give some pleasure and depth to the experience of travelling, rather than seeing an airport only as some transport engineering with a whole lot of retail thrown in. But it’s hard to see what’s good about going to this constructional effort so that passengers can view – apart from some glimpses through skylights of actual vines – the underneath of the structure that supports a vineyard. One wonders, too, about the effects of jet fumes and fuel dumps on the vintage and the practicalities of combining harvests with the functions of an airport. The project is by Rafael Viñoly Architects, who promised a “public park” at the top of the Walkie Talkie skyscraper they designed in the City of London, which turned out to be a corporate hospitality opportunity furnished with some plants. So I’m sceptical.
