Lugano, 2023.
This is by far the most emotional exploration I’ve ever made.
I used to spend my Summer here, from as long as I can remember till my teenage years..and I always had a good time.
This was the so called “sport center”, a recreational center for families of bank employees, the bank my dad used to work at. Every year, since the arrival of Summer - late May, beginning of June - till the start of school in September, every time there was the possibility, I was there with my parents and the friends I invited. The other kids and families who were there became my friends too.
I learned how to swim in these pools, had the first crushes on the pool lifeguard while eating ice cream and listening to my discman, spent a lot of time looking at the clouds, lying on my towel on the hillside. The place was more than a kid/teenager could ask for: two pools, a restaurant which served hamburgers, fries and ice creams, a mini golf course, tennis fields, ping pong and football table and a playground with a sandpit.
In 2015 the bank decides to close the place and since then, it has been the subject of contention by the City and architects, without ever reaching any conclusion.
So, in 2023 I decided to explore it. 8 years of total neglect were clearly visible.
The pools are empty, except for the big one, which is full or dirty rainwater.
The tennis court is now almost a small forest, with plants growing from the ground.
The minigolf is surrounded by reeds and it would be impossible to play.
The playground is rusty.
Silence was all around, but I could still hear the voices and laughter of the people from my childhood.
This place will always be part of my memories.
