Floating Above the Floods by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati

CRA redesigns the historic embankments of Turin, Italy, called “Murazzi del Po”. The project aims to address the Po River’s recurring floods — forecast to become increasingly disruptive with climate crisis.

It develops innovative floating structures that rise above the water, providing a blueprint for urban climate change adaptation. The design transforms the 19th-century underground warehouses along the Po River — known as the “Murazzi,” one of the most culturally vibrant areas in town — into a new hub for education and community.

Image © CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati

To address the Po River’s recurring flooding, CRA has designed innovative kinetic modules that can rise and float above the water level. This approach provides local solutions for the Italian city while suggesting a blueprint for climate change adaptation in urban waterfronts.

The “Murazzi del Po,” or “Po Embankments,” stand as one of Turin’s symbolic locations—a riverside area originally used for boat storage by fishermen that has, since the 1980s, evolved into the epicenter of the city’s vibrant nightlife and cultural scene.

Image © CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati

Over the past decade, the Murazzi have been a focal point of a redevelopment project aimed at revitalizing the riverfront, introducing co-working spaces, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, and an upgraded sustainable navigation service.

Most recently, these initiatives have become part of a broader plan supported by the EU-funded National Recovery and Resilience Plan. Source by CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati.

Image © CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati

Location: Turin, Italy

Architect: CRA-Carlo Ratti Associati

CRA Team: Carlo Ratti, Andrea Cassi (Partner-in-Charge), Nicolette Marzovilla, Zeynep Kalaycioglu

Creative Lead: Italo Rota

Italo Rota Building Office Team: Italo Rota, Francesca Grassi

Single Process Manager: Barbara Salza

Coordinator Designer: Lorenzo Peretti

Office of the Deputy Mayor for Parks and Public Space: Lucia Baima

Landscape Consultancy: LAND srl, Marco Bonanno, Martina Erba

Safety: Studio Venz, Marco Venz, Giorgio Gilli

Structural and Hydraulic Works: Hydrodata spa, Carlo Soldera, Laura Mazzariol, Luca Fresia, Luca Negri