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This paper analyses the effects of substrate properties and environmental conditions on spontaneous vegetation of soil and sludges from a dismantled steel plant moderately polluted by heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Plant colonization was monitored in the presence or absence of acidic peat for 5 years both inside the degraded brownfield site and after transferral into a nearby Oak Park environment. Overall, 57 plant species grew healthily on the substrates, with peat enhancing plant growth in the unfavourable brownfield site. Most of the species were found in the park (91 %), showing plant colonization was mainly affected by the immediate environment rather than by substrate properties. Restricted metal uptake and tissue accumulation by selected plants were measured, with only Daucus carota showing a higher ability to translocate metals to shoots (shoot/root metal concentration quotient [1 with peat). Phytostabilization with native plants represents an economically more realistic and cost-effective option than excavation, soil washing and sludge disposal, especially for vast industrial sites. Addition of organic matter and planting strategically selected vegetation islands could facilitate the spontaneous recovery of such highly degraded environments.

1 2 3 The Auditorium Oscar Niemeyer in Ravello, southern Italy is an iconic new concrete building perched above the Amalfi coast. The €16·7 million, 400-seat venue was completed in 2010 and provides a much-needed venue for this world heritage site's wealth of renaissance-inspired art and cultural events. The main structural feature is a 35 m vaulted roof supported on a slab cantilevering 12 m out from supporting walls, giving the building the appearance of floating in air. This paper reports on the many multi-disciplinary design and construction challenges involved in delivering this unique and geometrically complex building on a steep and confined site. A key issue was the need to respect the architectural vision while achieving an efficient and sustainable design.