Trapezoidal Pier
Client
Autorità del sistema portuale del Mare di Sicilia / Cosedil spa / Ennegi Service
Project location
Palermo, Italy
Project date
2025
Photography
Clorinda Scura
The rebirth
For decades, the Trapezoidal Pier was one of the most run down and inaccessible areas of the port of Palermo. Now, it’s been reborn, offering the city a vibrant, multifunctional space directly on the waterfront, rich in opportunities.
Designed by architect Sebastiano Provenzano (Provenzano Architetti Associati), the renovation is part of a vast redevelopment plan exceeding 1 billion Euros, initiated by the Port System Authority of the Western Sea of Sicily under the leadership of Pasqualino Monti, project managed by Enrico Petralia. After demolishing nearly 30,000 cubic meters of silos, cranes, and dilapidated structures, the project completely transformed the configuration of the pier with the area now fit for a range of functions — from leisure and culture to dining and the mooring of luxury yachts.
Products
A key destination
Extending to 26,000 square meters, the quays offer a large pedestrian and cycling promenade flanked by flower beds, benches, piazzas and a dancing fountain that surrounds the ancient Castello a Mare. It’s a place where people — families and tourists alike — can walk, jog, rest, or simply stare out to sea, all without the congestion of cars.
A marina for maxi yachts has also been constructed, offering 13–14 moorings equipped with all necessary services, from electricity and water supply to specialised assistance for boats — a clear affirmation of Palermo’s ambition to become a key destination for luxury yachting. New, modern buildings have also appeared, sitting in perfect harmony with the port, accommodating restaurants, cafés, a food academy, a 300-seat conference room, boutique stores and a range of commercial activities that bring the area to life from day into night.
Lighting as an architectural element
Particular care has been taken in designing the lighting, which guides people through the space and highlights its architectural features, creating a general feeling of safety and tranquility. Indoors, the lighting is not merely functional; it is a true architectural element in its own right, adding value to the whole space.
Thorn Lighting was pleased to contribute to this feat with indoor and outdoor solutions including Contrast, Flow, Raze Architectural, Raze Bollard and IQ Beam.
Importantly, this grand renovation has successfully retained the soul of the area, preserving remnants of original port structures and integrating them into a new, livable, and sustainable context where possible. The project followed a green approach — from water reuse to careful selection of trees and from the use of local materials such as calcarenite stone to the installation of low-impact systems. It demonstrates how redevelopment can keep the historical memory alive without distorting it, while opening it up to society in a contemporary way.
Particular care has been taken in designing the lighting, which guides people through the space and highlights its architectural features, creating a general feeling of safety and tranquility. Indoors, the lighting is not merely functional; it is a true architectural element in its own right, adding value to the whole space.