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CADENCE IN CULTURE
ARCH 301, Spring 2022 | Julia Rogers
Background
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Designed while studying for a semester abroad in Italy, this project is a collaboration between Shaelyn Parker, Zechariah Simpson, and myself. All included drawings and renders were created by me.
Design
Italian culture is rooted in rich traditions and vivid social interactions. The small Tuscan town of Castiglion Fiorentino is an excellent case study of this sentiment, demonstrated through a characteristically cadent lifestyle, be it a daily stroll through town, the church bells that ring in each hour of the day, or the midday “riposo” taken by local businesses to be with family or have a break. Chief among these is the weekly local market that takes place in the town’s Piazza Garibaldi, where vendors gather every Friday morning to sell locally-sourced food, clothing, and other goods.
However, this rhythm isn’t just exclusive to the town’s daily culture. An investigative look at the town’s architecture reveals physical patterns that reflect a similar cadence— adjacent buildings’ roofs stair step up and down from one another, while chimneys, towers, church steeples and cypress trees vertically punctuate their profile. These two distinct patterns, cultural and physical, became the driving influence behind Castiglion Fiorentino’s new cultural center located directly adjacent to Piazza Garibaldi: Graphical studies of these conditions were developed and then transposed on to the existing site, which established a grid from which the site’s structures and landscaping was dervied. Careful consideration was taken to adhere to the disntictive patterns found in the original graphical studies, resulting in a cafe, jazz bar, visitor center, exhibition space, library, and outdoor gathering space. In addition, the project incorporates outdoor space fit for occupation by market stalls and public events. This design pulls in not only the economic opportunities from the adjacent piazza, but also the social interactions that define Castiglion Fiorentino’s cultural identity.
