Renaturing Roman Ruins
Team
Name: Gary Yeow
Nationality: Malaysia
Institution / Company: University of Strathclyde
Name: Ivanka Teh
Nationality: Malaysia
Institution / Company: University of Strathclyde
Name: Ryoga A. Dipowikoro
Nationality: Indonesia
Institution / Company:)University of Strathclyde
Name: Lap Shing Sy
Nationality:Hong Kong
Institution / Company:)University of Strathclyde
–FINALIST of Re-Nature Rome Competition
One would easily link the act of ‘renature’ to re-planting greens and introducing more landscapes. However, in the context of Rome, a richly historical city, it is the artefacts of human civilization that are adopted as our proposal’s vessels in renaturing Rome, a collaboration between that of man-made and of nature.
The Colosseum was selected as our case study to propose a new way of conserving ruined monuments in Rome, due to its historical significance. Thus, nature is used as the ‘infill’ material to project the ruin’s former form and glory, albeit in a ‘natural’ form. A steel framework, with wire mesh along walkways and staircases, is proposed to envelope the missing parts of the ruin, allowing for nature to take over the voids in between. Sleek and porosive, this frame allows for permeability of visual and natural light.Upper decks of the Colosseum form allotment nurseries while lower ground structures are refurbished to become seed archives.
This proposal respects the artefacts’ past and significance while cohabiting with nature. We believe this can be implemented to other ruins as well, and strive beyond sustainability holistically, by connecting nature, men and history progressively.
#history #heritage #conservation #archive #rewilding #restoration #decay #ruins
