In Spring 2021 during my master's studies at TU Delft, I attended an Architectural Design Crossovers MSc2 studio Territorial Fragility – Sibari/Lao Architectures of Regeneration, led by Alper Semih Alkan.
The course was described in these words:
“Architectural Design Crossovers MSc2 studio is an experimental lab where we explore the scopes of the architectural project within different contexts. Questioning the temporal and physical limitations of the object-oriented approaches, the studio focuses on the critical design practices. The studio work takes experimenting as a central axis of the architectural design investigation via a trans-disciplinary approach in different disciplinary, geographical, and territorial contexts. By the notions of transformation, indeterminacy and change inherent in architecture’s own processes and context, the studio departs from the site not as a given but as a cultural construct. Hence, the site is not considered only as a material entity but as a field condition in which the processes of change, metamorphosis or alterations can be considered integral to the production of the cultural. Thus, the studio seeks to engage in a process-based inquiry that starts with, or leads to, site-specific conditions across spatial and temporal scales of Calabria. In this framework, we will start our design explorations by considering the site as a material entity and a field condition, in which the processes of change, transformations, and/or interventions can be considered integral to the production of an architectural construct.”
Calabria
The assignment centred on the region of Calabria, the southernmost part of Italy, excluding Sicily. It is a 'site' characterized by a catalogue of conflicting spatial programs, material/environmental configurations, and social practices that either shape or resist physical and behavioural patterns. Somewhat neglected and overlooked and impossible to visit at that time (2021) due to quarantine measures.
Calabria is grappling with ongoing economic shrinkage, marked by a persistently high unemployment rate averaging 20 percent year to year— the highest in Italy. The GDP per capita in Calabria is 2.34 times smaller than in Lombardy. As the region contracts, the built environment becomes increasingly challenging to sustain.
Tourism plays a pivotal role in the future of the region's economy, with considerable trust and funding invested in revitalizing crucial areas to make them more appealing to potential visitors. However, many places struggle to undergo organized and sustainable de-growth, leading to neglect.
The Ruin Problem
The issue of neglect is aptly illustrated by the Italian ruin problem. Italy is renowned for its plethora of abandoned houses and entire villages. In an effort to save these places, the government offers them to private investors at attractive prices. Moreover, volunteers willing to renovate them receive substantial subsidies through special governmental programs.
The perennial question of what to do with historical sites remains complex. Early 20th-century preservation movements often render heritage sites unusable and economically burdensome. The idea of adaptive reuse treads a fine line between preserving the past and embracing the present, potentially diluting the cultural significance, as well as spiritual, social, and aesthetic values of the place.
Not every ruin, however, is equally attractive or programmatically/economically feasible for regeneration. In my research, I focused on old fortification buildings, particularly a series of observation towers. These towers pose unique challenges as the most obsolete and problematic type of ruins. Transforming them into something else is difficult and undesirable, and their renovation and maintenance come with exorbitant costs. Finally, their programs are inherently resistant to transformation into functions other than that of a museum.
I found it fascinating how their context and purpose became obsolete. Historically, they had to be placed in strategic, hardly accessible points, which now only becomes problematic in the context of potential tourism or any cultural or historical value.
Hence, I mapped all the watch towers in Calabria. Red crosses indicate that they are in a state of ruin.
After reviewing potential site locations, I narrowed down my research to three towers, located close to each other:
The landscape and the villa
My tutor recommended a short essay by Georges Teyssot, which I became slightly obsessed with and used as the backbone of my design approach. The essay discusses the significance of the relationship between ground (context) and figure (object), elucidating the beauty of the built environment as a whole.
Key points cannot be separated from the physical space in which they have been placed. (Or, at any rate, these objects no longer function as key points if they are removed from this space.) I believe the same rule applies to their obsolescence. Key points can’t function as key points if the context (in that case purpose) is removed from their existence.
This relation of one to another became a point of departure for my project and shaped me as a designer to be highly involved in rather contextual than a-contextual designs.
Linking key points
As a part of reactivating the built environment, I focused on designing infrastructure to link three old observation towers. To once defensive and inaccessible objects, I decided to go against their primary logic by adding another layer of infrastructure, connecting land and water, which also creates a framework for various events for both tourists and inhabitants of the region.
The linking method adheres to a strict rule: each tower serves as a point connected in a straight line, forming a triangle. Every intervention utilizes each vector in a literal manner. This aspect intrigued me, as rigid design rules often yield distinct outcomes within the context of the object-landscape relationship, a concept G. Teyssot was talking about.
The linking process occurs on both a literal level, connecting point A with point B, and on a more metaphorical level, adding value to the overall context.
Linking device
For the linking device, I chose a wooden pier and started evolving it.
That's it. Perhaps there are a thousand more variations available, but for me, this was enough.
Point A - Torre Fiuzzi
The first tower is linked by a large pier which pierces through the rock formation to turn into a vertical connection.
Point B - Torre Crawford
The second tower is connected via a pier which transforms into a bathing spot/amphitheatre.
Point C - Torre Dino
The last tower, the most inaccessible one, was linked via a large vertical structure which serves as an observation deck, sunbathing spot, diving board and so on.
The points are now LINKED 🤝
thanks for reading