Output details

An investigation into the use of historic design elements within existing urban contexts

In 2009 Dr Luciano Cardellicchio was invited to lead a design team at Studio Arsenico EVM on the design of four related projects in problematic urban contexts in Italy. These were intended to constitute a systematic investigation into the reinterpretation of historic building forms as architectural solutions for sites that had suffered badly from post-war planning or neglect. This followed Cardellicchio’s experience as executive designer for Juan Navarro Baldeweg’s Hertziana Library remodelling in Rome (2003-2007). These projects are in the public domain.

The research processes for this output and the set of specific site solutions are described in detail in the attached pdf.

Research questions: What are the historical architectural forms that can be reinterpreted for new purposes? How can they be realised, and in what materials? How can they be made accessible and legible to modern pedestrians and city users? How can defensive or protective urban types such as courtyards and walls be used as ways of bringing together urban landscapes that are weak, diffused or incoherent?

Methodology: all four building projects were aimed primarily at improving the existing balances between voids and masses in historic areas. Public and private spaces, and buildings and cloisters, were designed and assessed in terms of accessibility, use and connections. The projects attempt to reinterpret historical building forms – courtyards, fortifications, aqueducts – in such a way as to heal problematic urban spaces and which suffer from poor pedestrian links to surrounding areas.

Means of dissemination: Two of the projects were competition entries, and were published locally and online at the time; the other two projects were commissions, which currently are awaiting construction, and which were published by Studio Arsenico and by Cardellicchio at the time and subsequently.