The Drowned City
Venice, Italy
Maciej Augustynowicz & Daniel Mead
How does Venice function as a city and museum in the wake of 10 metre sea level rise?
This thesis aims to understand how the city of Venice will continue to function as sea levels rise due to global warming and how its relationship to tourism will inevitably change as a result. Is it best to preserve Venice, or let it decay into an elegant ruin; a poignant monument to the devastation of climate change? We believe the answer lies in between these extremes. Where Venice acts as a relic and a repository in which are stored all the trinkets and tokens of civilisations whose lands, like Venice have been reclaimed by the sea. Whilst some buildings decay, others are preserved, reinforced against the ocean, curated as a museum of sorts and housing a facsimile of the Mediterranean world, unravaged by climate change.
I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this thesis during my final year. Completing the project as a collaboration between myself and Daniel worked well as we complimented each others skills and approach to design. We were both passionate with the notion of portraying Venice as a Mausoleum amongst a flooded ruin of the city, to highlight the struggles so many nations are already facing due to rising sea levels caused by Global Warming.
Throughout the project we displayed our careful consideration of the existing structure by creating interventions which complimented their context, highlighting the importance of preserving the historic architecture. Some of the modern touches were introduced to help enhance the expeirence of the users.
Click here to view a 360 Panorama Inside the Courtyard of the Doge's Palace.
For more personal information please download my CV here.
To view my 5th Year (MArch) portfolios please follow the links below:
