Alongside the inauguration of elements of our PARKlifeTM™ concept at the Romentino (NO) logistics park, we invited a group of 10-year olds to spend a morning finding out about logistics, recycling and urban art.
The 75 children from Edmondo De Amicis school in the Comune (municipality) of Romentino arrived at the park bright and early, accompanied by their teachers and school head to take part in a range of activities, where we got to experience their particular take on their surroundings.
This was an opportunity for the children to be introduced to the world of logistics, something that is part of everyone’s daily lives but which generally goes under the radar. Sandro Innocenti, Senior Vice President and Country Manager of Prologis Italia, explained how toys get delivered to their homes, and the importance of warehouses and storage - concepts and processes they don't ordinarily hear about at school - giving them an insight into how things work. In addition, the Art Director Enrico HEMO Sironi, who curated the urban artworks created by six internationally renowned Italian artists, talked to our visitors about the meaning of art and creativity, and how this can help make the appearance of a place more attractive, having an impact on the people who work at the park every day.
The children looked at the murals painted on the buildings’ façades together with a guide and enjoyed finding the letters hidden within the artworks and giving us their interpretations of each work. As if by magic, some of the artists who created the works, including Made514, Hemo and Etnik, appeared during the visit, and were on hand to answer questions from the slightly unusual audience, which much fun being had by all.
After some well-deserved snacks and refreshments, the three classes immersed themselves in a creative workshop focused on two themes: recycling - featuring the re-use of materials to create street furniture by FERCAM Echo Labs and installed by Prologis at the park - and art. The workshop, organised by the Club delle Mamme in partnership with the Comune di Romentino and the Department for Education, was led by the artist Made514 , with the children painting waste materials collected the previous month, such as bottle lids and cardboard boxes.
“We really enjoyed the day, which was very different from what usually happens at a logistics park. A key aspect of PARKlife™ is to bring together different worlds and enhance our relationships with the areas in which we build our parks and with their communities, commented Sandro Innocenti, Senior Vice President and Country Manager of Prologis Italia.