True monuments of greenery that are transformed from one season to another can be seen in the Palas Iași garden, whose arrangement contributes an Italian landscapeist, the craftsman of the gardens that bring nature in the middle of the cities, in the projects of the Iulius group.
True living monuments will be seen in the Palas Iași garden. Video capture
The artisan of this green paradise is, for 13 years, the Italian landscapeist Ennio Fassolli, who was interviewed by ziaruldeiasi.ro
Ennio Fassolli, a landscape consultant of the Iulius Group, is the man behind the parks that define the developed assemblies. His professional story started in Italy, where he had the chance to work for a top company in landscaping. This stage was for Ennio a real school, which for both professional and human format.
After a decade, feeling the need for a more personal approach, Ennio chose to create his own road. Along with a friend and colleague, he founded a specialized society in the design and arrangement of green spaces. The turning point came in 2010, with the proposal to deal with the landscaping of the Palas project in Iași. Since the first meeting, Ennio has seen the beneficiary's clear desire to create something unique and significant for the city, an ambitious vision he has embraced with openness.
“My goal was to imagine a place that respects the historical context in which it was to be born, but to offer a living, emotional experience for those who will cross it. A green corner in the urban heart, in which nature is not only a decorative element, but a protagonist. A place where you can relax, breathe and let yourself be inspired by shapes, colors and perfumes.“He tells.
A green oasis with unique vegetation
The capital of Moldova is a city with a rich history and cultural tradition, but it has a great deficit in the chapter of green spaces. This also noted Ennio: “I think people have perceived and appreciated the value of this space from the beginning. The desire to have, within a few steps or at work, a corner of nature where you can disconnect from daily agitation, has played a key role in the success of the project.”
The realization of the Palas Park in Iași represented from the beginning a large project, marked by an ingenious technical approach and an exceptional selection of vegetation. For the selection of plants, the Iulius group, by coordinating Ennio, collaborates with Italian nurseries, each specialized in a certain type of plants: large trees, conifers or shrubs.
“Italy, from north to south, offers an extraordinary variety of climates and soils. This allows us to look for the most suitable plants for each project, depending on their specific needs. A concrete example? Azalele. They need an acidic soil and, for this reason, we buy them from a precise area in northern Italy, where they grow naturally, healthy and vigorous ”, detail the Italian landscapeist.
“I wanted the green space to tell different stories”
In the Palas garden you can find truly special plants, both by variety and in size. Some copies immediately attract their eyes through their imposition, others capture by rarity. “I wanted the green space to tell different stories, leaving room for curiosity and astonishment. Because a single plant can become a symbol, a memory, an emotion,” Ennio philosophy motivates.
The park, as a whole, is a botanical mosaic: red janish arts, large, probably unique azaleas, lime sculpted in geometric shapes, defined oaks, giant ash and many other varieties. Whether they are small trees or shrubs, each such plant has a story, a origin, a reason.
True Live Monuments: Bonsai 120-130 years old at Palas
Some of the specimens in the park can be considered true living monuments. Of all, we notice “Big Bonsai”, which are rare, large plants, which come directly from Japan. Unlike most species, which come from Italian nurseries, these bonsai represent an authentic piece of millennial oriental culture.
The variety that can be admired in the Palas garden is called Pinus Pentaphylla, and the estimated age of these copies is 120-130 years. “You notice closely is as if you were in front of a natural sculpture, but with a soul. They tell about time, patience and care,” points out the one who chose.
Othervegetable treasures“With which the Palas Park is proud are the Tapered Taxus shrubs, which are 80-90 years old, brought from Tuscany. Some specimens reach impressive three-meter heights. Also, the Buxus, also from Tuscany, shapes the landscape in live geometric fences or spheres with diameters up to 2.5 meters.
Plants that deserve a special mention include citrus fruits: lemons, mandarins and kumquat, all originating from southern Italy. There are plants that do not belong to the local climate, but bring with them the warm atmosphere of the Mediterranean. To protect them, the company Iulius built a glass greenhouse, made to order, which ensures their survival in winter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u_rfjmvBj4
“Of the many views in the park, the one I prefer is near the Tower of Watchmen, in a panoramic and quiet area. Here a few imposing trees of Pterocarya Fraxinifolia (no Caucasian walnut) grow with multiple trunks, which offers a generous shadow and a sensation of deep peace. To sit on the grass, under these wide and light crowns, is a simple but precious experience. At that moment, time truly slows down ”ENNIO feels the need to reveal itself.
A different project by nature and engineering
The Palas project differs from other similar interventions for several reasons. The largest challenge came from the technical area, because a large part of the park is above an underground structure, more precisely the parking on several levels. This involved finding much more complex constructive solutions and, obviously more expensive, but allowed a complete pedestrian space, devoid of traffic. At the same time, a large amount of land brought from the outside was needed, an soil that was consolidated and treated so that it is conducive to the life of the plants.
Then, Ennio, together with his team, had the mission to harmoniously integrate the important and imposing architecture of the Palace of Culture. “Here, the challenge was to find a balance between the solemnity of the building and the elegant nature of the green space that surrounds it,” clarifies the Italian landscape. “In addition, the aspect may be emphasized may be the highest: the investment. It is not used to finding entities willing to allocate significant economic resources for auxiliary structures, which do not generate direct profit, but which return quality of life and beauty. It is a brave choice and, in my opinion, a visionary one,” he wants to highlight.
Finally, the invisible and often neglected resource is the time, because the value of the park cannot be measured only in economic terms. Ennio explains that “many of the plants present here are decades, sometimes over a century. This means that anyone crossing the park today can enjoy a mature, fully developed landscape, something that is in most cases only after long periods of waiting.”
Therefore, the choice of such mature specimens, so well formed, offered from the beginning a rich, shady environment, articulated in volumes and colors. It is a precious gift, which often goes unnoticed, but which makes the real difference between a “new” green space and a living park, which seems to have always been there.
15 employees take care of the Palas garden daily
The arrangement works never end, periodically introducing new species. And not just that. Such a complex and rich park cannot exist without careful daily management. From the design phase, the team worked with the idea of reducing the costs and resources needed for maintenance, but without ever compromising on quality. Today, a team of 15 specialized people deals with the constant care of this space.
“It is a silent but fundamental work that guarantees continuity, order and beauty. We always look to the future and now we are about to start a new renewal project, important for the functionality of the park. Everything will be developed in coherence with the original style and guidelines, to keep the aesthetic and design imprint that has always characterized the Palas Park. Because a park is never truly finished: it grows, it changes, it evolves … just like a living organism ”says the landscapeist.
The goal is to improve accessibility in certain areas of commercial space and to create new spaces dedicated to entertainment: children's playgrounds, areas designed for teenagers, new water installations, such as waterfalls and interactive games.
