Architecture 497 (Study Abroad) - Project 1 - Tiber Stairway
Improving access to a historical island in Rome
Description
For the first project while living in Rome, Italy, we selected a piece of the city of Rome to place a "small architectural intervention" of less than 1000 cubic feet. This project was not to be anything specific, like a snack bar, but it could potentially support those uses. Consideration of materials, experience, weathering and time was a focus of the project.
The site I chose was the Iosla Tiberina, the small island in the middle of the Tiber River. It has been occupied for thousands of years, and two 1st century BC bridges connect it to the land. The site presently holds a hospital, but is underutilized otherwise. My intervention was a wooden stairway that descends from the middle pier of the bridge on the west side of the island down to the flat area.
The Site
The site is along the Tiber River. It is rather isolated presently, but it used to be the main route into Rome and the two ancient bridges which are still in use. The walkway along the river is gated off currently, but it would be a great space to occupy, so the stairway serves as a link for pedestrians to access it.
Aerial Photo
Studies
To prepare finding a site we were required to do a photo collage of the site.
Post Cards
The final presentation consisted of two post cards that were to be mailed back to the School of Architecture in Milwaukee. Because the lack of printing services, this gave me a chance to work on my hand drawing. The pictures below are the scans of the actual cards after they arrived home.
