Designing in the ancient city

Publisher: FedOA - Federico II University Press

Series: TeA / Teaching Architecture

Pages: 201

Language: Italian

NBN: http://nbn.depositolegale.it/resolver.pl?nbn=urn:nbn:it:unina-29371

Abstract: The publication collects the outcomes of the research conducted as part of the degree theses in Architectural and Urban Design, discussed in the academic years 2020/21 and 2021/22, in the five-year single-cycle course (Arc5UE) and in the master's degree course in Architecture - Architectural Design (MAPA/ACTA) at the Department of Architecture of the University of Naples 'Federico II'. The common theme dealt with is "Designing in the Ancient City", addressed through the selection of three case studies: the Casanova-Costantinopoli school complex, the Santa Caterina a Formiello complex and the Morgue municipal complex. Working in the ancient city means examining a precise physical reality and searching for motivations and confirmations. One imagines active projects that give meaning to living spaces, fostering processes of interaction and integration between social, economic and environmental components. In this sense, the visions developed start from the materials proper to the ancient city, reinterpreting them with the awareness of the need for a design approach that involves different knowledge: from the cognitive evaluations of the estimative discipline, to the sensitivity in the protection of the historical-built heritage proper to restoration, to the recognition of the centrality of public space and, consequently, of landscape architecture. The aim of the research presented is to investigate strategies and methods of territorial innovation to preserve and hand down the wealth and vitality that the ancient city has accumulated and guaranteed over time. Through a detailed analysis of the selected case studies and an in-depth reflection on the phenomenon of urban regeneration, an attempt is made to offer a clear and articulate vision of the challenge of designing within the ancient city, suggesting development strategies for the Centro Antico of Naples, which take into account its history and peculiarities, while at the same time proposing innovative solutions to meet future challenges.