The Garden of Acqua Alta by George Pop

a series of processional performances

acqua alta

the garden of

island territories vii

ISLAND TEMPORALITIES:

[2020/2021]

EDINBURGH SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

[george pop]

“the man who is travelling and does not yet know the city awaiting him along his route wonders what the palace will be like, the barracks, the mill, the theater, the bazaar.”

a series of processional performances

acqua alta

the garden of

island territories vii

ISLAND TEMPORALITIES:

[2020/2021]

EDINBURGH SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE

[george pop]

Out of the salty marshes of the lagoon, a garden softens Venice’s hard edges.

Shallow waters from beyond its edges seep through Venice’s walls;

script

(noun)

the letters or characters used in writing by hand; handwriting, especially cursive writing.

a manuscript or document.

3. the text of a manuscript or document. 4. the manuscript or one of various copies of the written text of a play, motion picture, or radio or television broadcast. 5.

any system of writing.

6. in Printing. a type imitating handwriting.

[contents]

prologue a note to the reader thetic terminology glossary a playscript characters [act i]

docking room [scene 2] city [scene 3] chimera [scene 4] garden [scene 1]

[act ii]

sluicing lagoon [scene 2] city [scene 3] chimera [scene 4] garden [scene 1]

[act iii]

bridging city [scene 2] chimera [scene 3] garden [scene 1]

[act iv]

caulking chimera [scene 2] garden [scene 1]

[act v]

unmooring [scene 1]

epilogue

garden

figure 1 figure 2

[previous page] chamber caught in the storm an axonometric drawing of the chamber

[right] a plane table

the strangeness beyond Querini Stampalia’s walls 10

prologue Positioned between the real and the imagined, and alongside other three versions of Venice, what follows is an architecture in five acts and a conscious intent of submerging the reader (with)in the waters of Venice. Swimming through this subaquatic landscape, the reader will reach mileposts in the shape of wooden poles raising from the waters and pointing at the sky. These slender pillars - which not long ago bolstered many forgotten Venetian tales - are marking the beginning of an act of making architecture.

Each one of these acts introduces its characters and scenes, not unlike a Venetian playscript about to be performed in Teatro La Fenice. The characters represent found architectural figures on Venetian ground, emerged structures, fictional personas, personifications, and real objects that played a role in the making of an architecture. Built on hard edges, Venice loses the sense of the marshes on which it was built. The report aims at responding to Venice’s liquifying character by putting forward a series of heterotopias that occasionally seep westwards through the medieval wall of the Arsenale Vecchio and get caught in the urban fabric of Castello. The project echoes the Venetian technological and environmental practices and proposes a social infiltration of the lived Venice at the West of the wall by means of producing, restoring, conserving, and presenting fragments of the city. It is hoped that this report will be used as a guidebook, or rather a maritime chart of sorts, to steer the reader through the exhibition by means of drifting images and annotations on a wet page, and firmly tethered textual fragments and asides suggestive of a patch of dry land within these strange waters.

[thetic terminology]

island chimera

‘a building with multiple identities, whether programmatic, material, climatic, diurnal or structural.’

parterre

‘the immediate context that tethers the Chimera to the greater landscape via the disposition of an island city.’

plane table

chamber

‘condition marked by an everyday strangeness peculiar to its isolation and geography.’

‘an analogue device used in the field for surveying and cartography; within the Venice atelier, the Plane Table becomes a bespoke and complex cartographic tool that describes aspects of the strange world beyond the walls of the Chimera.’

‘an archaic architectural term for a small, private room, often within a large building of multiple rooms and functions such as a palace or official residency; it is both a place of intimacy, of rest and of the individual imagination.’

lock

‘a complex and highly articulated mechanism which is also compact and precise; it is something which is set into something much larger, but it is through the lock that we gain access to a more significant realm.’

field

‘a mode of representation that has an operative and performative role; a geographical locus of interest, a climatic condition, architectural artefacts, landscapes, cultivated and uncultivated land, conceptual prompts, narrative threads, fictional and real inhabitants’

gate

‘an articulate threshold that, through its refined detail, suggests the nature of the more vaguely conceived world beyond’

[glossary] acqua alta. occurs when certain events coincide; the high tide forms an alliance with low pressures and Scirocco.

caigo. Venetian light mist, translating to ‘the white, transparent fog’.

calle. (pl. calli) a narrow street. campiello. is a smaller “square” than the campo, “small square”.

campo. (pl. campi) is the equivalent of the “square”which typically features a church. caranto. a lower layer of more solid clay and sand corte. (pl. corti) is common courtyards for several houses. They are often reached through a calle or a porch.

insula. it refers to the islands in the Venetian lagoon. M.O.S.E. the name comes from the biblical name of Moses and it refers to the flood barriers designed to mitigate the phenomenon of acqua alta. piazza. a large square; the only piazza in Venice is Piazza San

Marco.

scirocco. a hot wind, often dusty or rainy, blowing from North Africa across the Mediterranean to Southern Europe.

sestiere. is a district, a section of Venice; there are six quarters in Venice: Cannaregio, San Polo, Santa Croce, Dorsoduro, San Marco and Castello. terra firma. it means “dry land”.

chimera

[scene 3]

[scene 4]

garden

chimera

[scene 3]

garden

[scene 4]

city

[scene 2]

city

[scene 2]

lagoon

[scene 1]

room

[scene 1]

[a playscript]

[act i]

docking [act ii]

sluicing

bridging

caulking

[act v]

[scene 2] DIN571 6х25

DIN7976 6.3х19

4.2x75 DIN 7982 4.2x19

DIN7976 6.3х22

NAT 10L+SPAKS

DIN7976 6.3х50

KRS 4.8х25

DIN7976 5.5х32

SPAX SKK 6х35

DIN7981 4.2х16 DIN7981 6,3х25 JPMT4.2х13

DIN571 6х60

DIN571 6х110

JPMT4.2х25

garden

DIN571 6х40 DIN571 6х45 DIN571 6х50 DIN571 6х55

[scene 3]

garden

[scene 2]

chimera

6.3х140

[scene 2]

unmooring

garden

chimera

[act iv]

[scene 1]

city

[scene 1]

[act iii]

[protagonists]

Dorothy caigo Fondazione Querini Stampalia the Medieval Wall chamber lock mask hull raft lades paper models timber aluminium the Venetian lagoon acqua alta Arsenale di Venezia Arsenale Vecchio studiolo ribs stair bridge shadows Istrian marble steel copper

lagan

jetsam

[læɡən] (also called “ligan”) refers to goods that are cast overboard and are heavy enough to sink to the ocean floor, but are tied or otherwise linked to a floating marker, such as a buoy or cork, so that they can be found again by whoever marked the item. Lagan can also refer to large objects that are trapped within the sinking vessel.

[dʒɛtsəm] designates the portion of a cargo that is intentionally thrown overboard to lighten a ship, as during a storm or when in danger of sinking.

flotsam

derelict

[flɒtsəm] (also known as “flotsan”) refers to the goods of a sunken or stricken vessel found floating on the surface of the sea.

[dɛrilikt] can refer to goods that have sunk to the ocean floor, relinquished willingly or forcefully by its owner, and thus abandoned, but which no one has any hope of reclaiming.

[act I]

docking

storm

(noun)

1. an extreme weather condition with very strong wind, heavy rain, and often thunder and lightning.

‘leaving there and proceeding for three days toward the east...’

[act i]

docking

(verb)

the act of mooring (a vessel) at a dock or (of a vessel) being moored at a dock.

[act i]

docking

[room] [city] [chimera] [garden]

[scene 1]

room

[scene 2]

city

[scene 3]

chimera

[scene 4]

garden

[protagonists] Dorothy the Venetian lagoon caigo the Medieval Wall Fondazione Querini Stampalia Arsenale di Venezia 23

[act I]

docking

[characters] Dorothy Toto Miss Gulch 1200mm x 400mm desk surface two drawers

[scene 1]

room

The musical fantasy film ‘The Wizard of Oz’ was released in 1939 and it has been publicly perceived as one of the greatest films of all times according to the American Film Institute. A sepia-toned Kansas is depicted before and during the cyclone which sends the house spinning into the air. The scene illustrating the extreme forces of the cyclone were of particular interest in creating the storm register. Both camera movements and the subjects moving within its frame provided origins for tracing vectors [figure 5].

The drawing surface suddenly begins to reveal certain bathymetric sensibilities.

In the midst of this storm, both Dorothy’s room and the extension of it - outlined by the window frame [figure 7] witness a re-ordering of things.

‘Dorothy sat up and noticed that the house was not moving; nor was it dark, for the bright sunshine came in at the window, flooding the little room.1

Once the cyclone has passed and the house meets the ground once again, the colour theme dramatically switches to technicolor [figure 6] emphasising a strange, unfamiliar territory yet to be explored.

figure 4

[re]imagining the cyclone in The Wizard of Oz, 1939

figure 5

figure 6 1 Baum, L. F. (2020). The Wizard of Oz. New York: Puffin Books. 24

[previous page] grasping the storm

[top left] tracing vectors of movement

image showing projection of the cyclone scene in the Wizard of Oz on drawing surface

[bottom left] an unfamiliar territory

movie still showing the change in colour once the storm had passed

00:21

“Quick, Dorothy!” she screamed. “Run for the cellar!”

figure 7

[right] the cyclone

assemblage of text and movie stills evoking the storm from The Wizard of Oz, 1939

[...] She was awakened by a shock, so sudden and severe that if Dorothy had not been lying on the soft bed she might have been hurt. 02:16 25

[act I]

docking

00:12

device(noun) 1. a thing made or adapted for a particular purpose, especially a piece of mechanical or electronic equipment: a measuring device 2. a bomb or other explosive weapon: an incendiary device 3. a plan, method, or trick with a particular aim: writing a letter to a newspaper is a traditional device for signaling dissent 4. a form of words intended to produce a particular effect in speech or a literary work: a rhetorical device 5. a drawing or design: the decorative device on the invitations 6. an emblematic or heraldic design: their shields bear the device of the Blazing Sun 7. (mass noun) archaic the design or look of something: works of strange device

figure 8

01:02

[left] a performative storm1

assemblage of images, collages and text collated through the process of registering the cyclone in The Wizard of Oz; from left to right: plan view of the drawers in my desk, sequence of stills from the register movie, selected image of a precise architectural detail to be read in relation to the storm device

00:56

figure 9

[right] a performative storm2

assemblage of images and text showing the process of image transfering

Without detracting from the experience, I have sought to take some of the mistery out of intuition. It can be crafted. Tools used in certain ways organize this imaginative experience and with productive results.

Both limited and all-purpose instruments can enable us to take the imaginative leap necessary to repair material reality or guide us towards what we sense is an unknown reality latent with possibility. 11:34 27

[act I]

docking

‘words failed him, and little by little, he went back to relying on gestures, grimaces, glances.’

08:47 - tape on corners of the table 09:13 - coffee 12:10 - intercom buzzing 13:02 - tea 14:24 - coffee 15:01 - table rotation 17:44 - tea 18:19 - projector on bottom half of device 18:22 - record projection 08:33 - coffee 10:12 - move table closer to window 11:57 - draw shadow of mug cast on surface 14:06 - remove drawers 16:03 - coffee 18:45 - move table to centre 19:12 - tilt table 22:34 - move table back in position 07:56 - coffee 11:44 - tilt table 90o 11:54 - projector on top half of device 11:55 - record projection 18:32 - coffee spill 20:04 - move table back in position

Extract from diary

figure 10

figure 11

[left] between precision and chance

documenting the storm, I sought to position my investigation between moments of fortuitous delight and a healthy obsession with factual information

[right] a sto(rm)ry within a sto(rm)ry

Dorothy’s cyclone, I found, extended beyond the edges of the drawing, informing (and informed by) the ‘storm’ within my room; the device began to have an effect on its housing 28

When she was halfway across the room there came a great shriek from the wind, and the house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly upon the floor. Then a strange thing happened. The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon. The north and south winds met where the house stood, and made it the exact center of the cyclone. In the middle of a cyclone the air is generally still, but the great pressure of the wind on every side of the house raised it up higher and higher, until it was at the very top of the cyclone; and there it remained and was carried miles and miles away as easily as you could carry a feather.1 1

Baum, L. F. (2020). The Wizard of Oz. New York: Puffin Books. 29

[characters] the Romans the Venetian lagoon Venice Lio Piccolo caigo two gondoliers

[scene 2]

city

In its ceaseless flux, not unlike the waters that surround it, Venice had been re-inventing itself since the very first Romans who took refuge in the womb of this extraordinary lagoon. This process of metamorphosis has been nurtured by the shallow waters which on one hand, acted as a barrier against enemy fleets and on the other enabled trading. For so many centuries these two entities – the city and the lagoon – lived through one another, influencing each other’s destiny.

survey

(verb)

1. look closely at or examine (someone or something). 2. examine and record the area and features of (an area of land) so as to construct a map, plan, or description.

[act I]

docking

“Of course, there is Venice. We first glimpse Venice across the lagoon, from a boat. The buildings seem suspended in a field of sea and sky, each reflecting the other and finally dissolving into hues of blue and gray. Where is the earth now? A thin, barely perceptible line upon which the buildings cannot possibly depend.” Michael Cadwell, “Strange Details”

figure 12

[above] Arriving in Venice

video stills extracted from “Venice 1966”, recorded at the time of the Aqua Alta of 1966 33

‘Looking along the Grand Canal, one does not see the palaces that flank it; one sees the paintings of Canaletto’ Giulia Foscari, ‘Elements of Venice’

[act I]

docking

touching lightly In Venice, buildings do not spring from the earth they tether themselves to the mud below, or they hover above it.

Michael Cadwell, “Strange Details”

As one approaches Venice by boat, one perceives the city as a thin surface which might as well have as its sole purpose the delimitation between the sea and the sky. The Garden of the Acqua Alta echoes the Venetian practices of interrogating the (or the lack of) grounds below. It aims at conveying an architecture that resonates with its immediate surroundings and establishes a transaction of ‘lightness’ with the existing fabric of the city through materiality. Drifting (‘hovering’) and anchoring (‘tethering’) constitute fundamental gestures behind developing an architectural language.

‘How on such a surface would he set about building a substantial wall that would be able to bear the weight and to stand for ages ?’ John Ruskin

figure 13

[left] The landscape beyond

Aerial photograph of the lagoon at Lio Piccolo, Venice

figure 14

[right] Drifting Territories - A Relocation

map highlighting the extents of Castello and the Arsenale Vecchio in relation to Querini Stampalia and its parterre 36

[act I]

docking

a conceptual caigo

A typical environmental phenomenon for Venice, caigo (meaning ‘white, transparent fog’) represents a crucial part of The Garden of the Acqua Alta. Storms re-calibrate things, create unfamiliar and rather peculiar conditions in which what has been is no longer obvious. It is through this re-ordering of hierarchies that other things, dormant until now, come to the surface.

The Venetian fog constitutes the starting point in an enquiry which extends its environmental conditions to cultural connotations related to Venice and the islands in the lagoon. It is re-imagined as a storm of artifacts, a strange disruption in the Venetian life which further liquifies the urban fabric of the city and provides a conceptual framework for envisioning a new landscape of influences and architectural opportunities. The project recognises the architectural concept of caigo as an agglomeration of ‘entities’ (molecules), or indeed, artifacts, the literal meanings and morphologies of which dissolve in the cloud of the storm.

figure 15

[left] Timber, Water and Caigo

photograph showing wooden poles in the lagoon during caigo

figure 16

[right] Caigo - Venetian Fog

photograph capturing shadows, silhouettes and the Venetian caigo looming over the Grand Canal 38

‘Instead, construction liquefies at the Querini Stampalia, and we are cast adrift, into a kind of liquid ambience.’ Michael Cadwell, ‘Strange Details’

[act I]

docking

[characters] Querini Stampalia Chiesa Parrocchiale di Santa Maria Formosa The Plague Doctor rio di Santa Maria Formosa chamber lock

[scene 3]

chimera

Carlo Scarpa’s intervention at the Querini Stampalia represents a micro-Venice where the architectural language ‘unmoors us from the earth, leaving us to swim in a liquid ambience’ (Michael Cadwell, ‘Strange Details’). On an experiential level, the building takes one on a journey through the lagoon, from its raised semidry banks to the edges of deep sea canals where the water becomes ‘infectious’. The Garden of the Acqua Alta seeks to experience the lagoon from within by means of liquified tectonics and materials: architectural spaces that experience the lagoon inwards before they turn around and look out onto the landscape beyond.

‘We are not stepping on the stone anymore, but are captured within its depth.’ Michael Cadwell, ‘Strange Details’

figure 17

[previous page] plane table cover

figure 18

[right] Chimera - Querini Stampalia

ground floor plan originally drawn at 1:100 42

1. entrance bridge 2. foyer 3. watergate grilled gate 4. porch 5. northeast room 6. radiator column 7. main exhibition room 8. staircase to library 9. travertine door 10. southwest room 11. garden terrace 12. lawn 13. water source 14. water tray 15. dry well 16. potting yard 17. garden door 18. former entrance

3 C

5 C

11 13 15 17

16 12

10m

[act I]

docking

masks

The concept of doubling emphasised in Michael Cadwell’s ‘Strange Details’ is interrogated within the thesis by pairing it with the traditional Venetian mask as an analogy to hiding or manipulating one’s identity or actions to an extreme point where the real fails to be distinguished from the imitation. Architecturally, this translated into masks that carry threshold values which themselves trick the senses through concealing/revealing.

‘Thus the traveler, arriving, sees two cities: one erect above the lake, and the other reflected, upside down.’ Italo Calvino, ‘Invisible Cities’

figure 19

[above] Traditional Venetian Mask / The Plague Doctor photograph conveying the prominence of masquerades in Venetian society

figure 20 Buildings are reflected in the water, an interminable doubling until, on a calm day, it is difficult to tell which is the more real: the flickering reflection or the crumbling original. Michael Cadwell, “Strange Details” 44

figure 21

[left] Facades reflecting in rio di Santa Maria Formosa [right] Chamber Lock in its Housing site plan originally drawn at 1:500

figure 22

[far right] Chimera - Querini Stampalia site plan originally drawn at 1:250

1. Parish of Santa Maria Formosa 2. Campo Santa Maria Formosa 3. Campiello Querini Stampalia 4. Rio Santa Maria Formosa 5. Calle Querini 6. garden 7. site of 1973 project

Extent of more detailed drawing marks Carlo Scarpa’s 1962 intervention at the Querini Stampalia

3 4

5 6

[act I]

docking

‘swimming at the Querini Stampalia Foundation’

As explored by Michael Cadwell in ‘Strange Details’, Scarpa’s intervention for Querini Stampalia features misalignments of certain elements such as the columns leading to the garden. These are in contrast with a very precise positioning of surfaces in section. Datum lines run from the Campiello at the front all the way to the wall at the rear of the garden reminding oneself of a bathymetric section. These reference lines have been scrutinised as part of the thesis and they informed architectural gestures in the developing of the workshops and yards in the Arsenale Vecchio in relationship with the existing urban fabric.

figure 23

[below] Chimera - Querini Stampalia section AA originally drawn at 1:100

Travertine is petrified water and looks like it. Michael Cadwell, “Strange Details”

Had the tide been only a foot or eighteen inches higher in its rise, the water-access to the doors of the palaces would have been impossible: even as it is, there is sometimes a little difficulty, at the ebb, in landing without setting foot upon the lower and slippery steps: and the highest tides sometimes enter the courtyards, and overflow the entrance halls. John Ruskin, “Stones of Venice”, Vol X

3 2 1

Horizontal Datum Lines: 1. Canal Water 2. Gallery Floor 3. Concrete Revetment 4. Picture Rail and Bridge Crest 5. Gallery Ceiling and Bridge Rail

[act I]

docking

‘swimming at the Querini Stampalia Foundation’

The bathymetric quality of the sections in Querini Stampalia are further investigated through a process of liquification and alongside Scarpa’s environmental quality of the lagoon that we can experience in the building, a cultural caigo of artifacts invades and dissolves the spaces into a cloud of Venetian fragments.

figure 24

[below] A Storm - Querini Stampalia section AA originally drawn at 1:100

Horizontal Datum Lines: 1. Canal Water 2. Gallery Floor 3. Concrete Revetment 4. Picture Rail and Bridge Crest 5. Gallery Ceiling and Bridge Rail

[act I]

docking

1. 2. 3. sized 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. (top)

Pre-fabricated RHS steel beam, x mm Pre-fabricated RHS steel frame Adonised black steel panels, custom Copper struts Copper flooring Pre-fabricated RHS steel beam, x mm Pre-fabricated RHS steel arms, x mm Steel angle Angled black steel rod inserting in steel frame (bottom) and steel beam

5 6

Amidst the storm of artifacts, fragments of proposed architecture can engage once again with the city.

figure 25

[above & right] The Stair / Chamber Lock plans and sections originally drawn at 1:20

3 4 2

5 A

7 6

3 5

2 1

B AA

[act I]

docking

“Water is infectious: its ominous blue-green viscosity glimmers through the watergate and sucks at the stone steps. And make no mistake, we smell the water; an odoriferous effluvium assaults the space.”

3 2

figure 26

[below left] Chimera - Querini Stampalia section BB originally drawn at 1:100

figure 27 Horizontal Datum Lines: 1. Canal Water 2. Gallery Floor 3. Concrete Revetment 4. Picture Rail and Bridge Crest 5. Gallery Ceiling and Bridge Rail

‘The rail nudges again. We trace its trajectory from teak to steel strut, to steel support, to a second strut, to that strut’s doubling.’ Michael Cadwell, ‘Strange Details’

[below] Chimera - Querini Stampalia section CC originally drawn at 1:100

Had there been no tide, as in other parts of the Mediterranean, the narrow canals of the city would have become noisome, and the marsh in which it was built pestiferous. John Ruskin, “Stones of Venice”, Vol X

3 2

[act I]

docking

sub-merged landscape

The white cloud of artifacts transforms the Querini Stampalia and its parterre into a liquified territory. The parterre plan shows the early stages of a sciagraphical journey with the aim of developing an architectural language.

figure 28

[right] A New Territory

parterre plan originally drawn at 1:200

figure 29

[far right] A Negotation between Scales

video stills extracted from the group video in relation to storm sections and individual chamber lock sites 54

I. THE BELL AND THE WHITE CLOUD

III. THE FICTION OF SOLIDITY

VI. DRIFTING LABYRINTH

II. THE VORTEX WELL

IV. JOSTLING FOR POSITION

V. THE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

VII. UNPACKING THE CAIGO

[act I]

docking

‘jostling for position’

figure 30 & 31

[below] A Storm - Querini Stampalia section originally drawn at 1:100

the vortex well

[act I]

docking

the bell and the White Cloud

figure 32 & 33

[below] A Storm - Querini Stampalia section originally drawn at 1:100

drifting labyrinth

19 [act I]

docking

° 129

‘These two kinds of islands, continental and originary, reveal a profound opposition between ocean and the land. Continental islands serve as a reminder that the sea is on top if the earth, taking advantage of the slightest sagging in the highest structures; oceanic islands, that the earth is still there, under the sea, gathering its strength to punch through to the surface.’

83°

° 157

44°

figure 35

3 4

18 2

5 6

112°

figure 34

133°

9 11

15 12

16 14

[right] A Callibration - Stories within Stories [far right] A Negotation between Scales map originally drawn at 1:100

The Lagoon operates at the scale of clouds and its character is determined by their shifting presence. 151°

location: Venice centering on lagoon -> Church within campo; orientation: Grand Canal parellel to entrance of the Church;

LAGOON CALLIBRATION 1:2,000,000

129 °

LAGOON

157°

44°

133° ° 112

INSULAS

° 7 15

Lido Pellestrina: natural barrier between the sea and lagoon placed -> boundary of the chimera San Michel: island of cemetery -> sacrificial space of the North East room Castello: Arsenale and gardens -> garden of chimera Chiogga: central canal -> main circulation space on first floor Murano: glass factory -> glass chandelier in Green drawing room on first floor

190 °

‘Throughout the centuries of turmoil it remained the place of meeting and assignation.‘ location: pier of the Molo (arrival point of Venice) -> bridge of the chimera

PIAZZA

Campos are not simply public squares in Venice; they are cisterns as well, floating cisterns.

° 83

orientation: aligning axis between two wells in Campo Santa Maria Formosa to that of the water features in the Querini Stampalia garden

CAMPO

[act I]

docking

programmatic clues

The conceptual caigo invading the Chimera and its parterre set adrift a series of paintings showcasing the Venetian life previously stored on the first floor of the Querini Stampalia.

1. Portego 2. Mythology room 3. Giovanni Bellini room 4. Panel room 5. Mannerist room 6. Music room 7. Portrait room 8. Giuseppe Jappelli drawing room 9. Nineteenth century room 10. Corridor 11. Scenes of Venetian life 12. Studiolo 13. Bed Chamber 14. Boudoir 15. Red drawing room 16. Green drawing room 17. Room of the Stuccoes 18. Dining room

The paintings find their new housing as they float across rio di Santa Maria Formossa and head North. A thickening of the storm initiated an agglomeration of artifacts in the narrow calle past the campiello.

7 2

figure 36 18

[above] Chimera - Querini Stampalia

selection of paintings by Gabriel Bella exhibited at Palazzo Querini Stampalia in the Scenes of Venetian life room

figure 37

[left] Chimera - Querini Stampalia

first floor plan originally drawn at 1:250 14

figure 38

[right] Thickening the Storm

rendered section originally drawn at 1:100 62

[act I]

docking

1. Copper struts connected on the underside of a copper floor 2. Anodised black steel panels 3. Copper stair with copper struts and handrail 4. Portal timber frame 5. Copper panels for viewing deck 6. Metal frame fabric/translucent material canopy 7. Anodised black aluminium gutter 8. Timber frame panels 9. Limestone plates 10. Black metal rail mechanism to allow movement of paintings 11. White fabric light box 11. Limestone plates 12. Built in timber support featuring pivoting table

figure 39

[right] A moment in the series of processional performances of The Garden of Acqua Alta axonometric projection

8 4

‘More than a formal configuration, the field condition implies an architecture that admits change, accident, and improvisation.’ Stan Allen

figure 40

[right] A Liquifying Field of Influences mapping

plane table

[act I]

docking

[characters] Arsenale di Venezia the Medieval Wall Italo Calvino Saint Jerome the raft the husk the mask the bridge the stair

[scene 4]

garden Arsenale di Venezia

Alongside Saint Mark’s Basilica, the largest productive installation in all Europe for centuries, or how Dante would call it “Arzana dei Veneziani”, it is one of the most emblematic Venetian attractions. Located on the Eastern end of Venice, The Arsenale is extensively surrounded by the shallow waters of the lagoon, bordering Canale di San Marco to the South.

figure 41

[far right] Jacopo de’ Barbari’s map of Venice highlighted area showing the extent of the Venice Arsenale

figure 42

[below] Venice Arsenale’s industrial character

photograph showing the historic warehouses

Its unique industrial character features warehouses, ramps and docks that set it apart from the rest of Castello and even Venice. But this distinction between The Arsenale and the rest of Venice does not end with building typologies.

‘As in the Arsenal of the Venetians Boils in winter the tenacious pitch To smear their unsound vessels over again For sail they cannot; and instead thereof One makes his vessel new, and one recaulks The ribs of that which many a voyage has made One hammers at the prow, one at the stern This one makes oars and that one cordage twists Another mends the mainsail and the mizzen…’ Dante, ‘Inferno’

[act I]

docking

Venice Arsenale Medieval Wall

Due to its military history, The Arsenale is surrounded by a Medieval wall which disconnects the West of Castello from the East. The wall was erected with the aim of defending the military from saboteurs and spies that could infiltrate areas of special interest within the Arsenale. The thesis focuses on mending this divide between ‘the lived Venice’ and The Arsenale, more specifically Arsenale Vecchio by turning the Medieval wall into a gate that would allow workers and visitors from Castello to enter a micro-Venice of heterotopias, of worlds within worlds, stories within stories – a play on Italo Calvino’s numerous versions of Venice. The Arsenale dates back to 1104 when, alongside Rio dell’Arsenale, two rows of open shipyards were built. Just like the city beyond the Medieval Wall and indeed, the extraordinary lagoon, The Arsenale transformed over the centuries by means of expansion and destruction. Fires proved to be disastrous when taking over gunpowder storages, the most serious ones dating back to the 16th century.

figure 43 figure 44

A more recent fire of which the causes are unknown burnt down the Western-most (and oldest) warehouses of the Arsenale Vecchio. Today, six roofless bays feature thirty arches that point towards the sky as a metaphor for survival, between fire and water. [right] Medieval Wall materiality

istrian marble foundation; masonry wall

[far right] Medieval Wall in relationship with Castello

[act I]

docking

[H] HUSK [m] timber + insulation + copper [e] creating a highly controlled environment tailored for Venetian artwork [c] precise openings which directly connect with the Medieval wall and the landscape beyond [f] painting restoration activities which require a regulated space in terms of humidity, temperature and light

[S] STAIR [m] [e] [c] [f]

steel + timber a vertical transition between different levels of ‘dryness’ addresses the Medival wall and masonry collonade circulation and viewing platform

[M] MASK [m] [e] [c] [f]

steel + timber + aluminium a threshold - a transition from one condition to another (inside/outside) facade which adresses the Arsenale Vecchio beyond framing, obstructing, revealing views

[B] BRIDGE [m] [e] [c] [f]

steel + timber + aluminium creating a journey through multiple micro-environments forms a connection between the existing masonry collonades and the proposed steel and timber portal frames circulation and viewing platform

[R] RAFT [m] [e] [c] [f]

steel + timber creating a dry environment in the marshy landscape yet open to flooding an anchorage into the marshy landscape painting restoration activities which require open space

[m] - materiality [e] - environment [c] - context [f] - function

figure 45

[left] Venetian elements[1] exploded axonometric

[act I]

docking

restoration workshop // sculptures

restoration workshop

restoration workshop // day to day objects i.e. window frames

Arsenale Vecchio [a programmatic arrangement]

A series of workshops and yards populate the former warehouses re-activating the site on which ships were built centuries ago. The ship building process is therefore an integral part in the decision-making process with regards to materials and sequence of construction. The arrangement of the pavilions allow for a transaction with the existing and is enriched by the collonades. The Medieval Wall becomes a gate to Castello and ensures a socially and economically integrated area. The thesis aims at creating a sense of community and stewardship by involving both locals and tourists.

p // large paintings

WORKSHOPS AND YARDS a programmatic arrangement

figure 46

[left] Workshops and Yards a programmatic arrangement

[act I]

docking

restoration workshop // small to medium sized paintings

art studio // community led workshops

exhibition area // Venice Biennale & Arsenale Vecchio artwork for display

workers’ reception, shower and toilet facilities

figure 47

[left] Workshops and Yards a programmatic arrangement

[act I]

docking

restoration workshop // small to medium sized paintings

The thesis explores one of the workshops ‘ architectural language, materiality and programme in detail while the other pavilions allow for imagining the landscape through the lenses of the former. The restoration workshop investigated focuses on giving back to the city by means of reconditioning medium sized paintings scattered around Venice.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

figure 48

Existing arches Existing Medieval Wall Existing canal Proposed marshy landscape Proposed Istrian marble lades Proposed Istrian marble gargoyles Proposed Istrian marble ‘swellings’ Metal structure Metal frame attached to existing wall Timber raft Painting stretchers’ yard / sheltered outdoor space for restoration Istrian marble ‘anchor’

[right] garden level

plan originally drawn at 1:50 78

5 6

12 A

3 8 5 7

6 5

[act I]

docking

Cabinet making atelier, Calle del Tragheto, Venice

figure 49

[right] lower level

plan originally drawn at 1:50 80

4 A

7 8

3 14

5 16

[act I]

docking

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

figure 50

Existing arches Existing Medieval Wall Existing canal Proposed marshy landscape Proposed Istrian marble lades Winding metal frame stair Revolving timber desk for close investigations of paintings Timber flatfiles for finished pieces between limestone sheets Velvet top for placing the painting onto upon discussion with client Metal frame bridge spanning across the studio Timber chest for oils Revolving easels for painting restoration Opening for ventilation Folded copper sheet Metal frame and mesh viewing deck

[right] upper level

plan originally drawn at 1:50 82

6 A

9 10

3 11 5 12 13

[act I]

docking

1. Existing arches 2. Existing Medieval Wall 3. Existing canal 4. Proposed marshy landscape 5. Proposed Istrian marble lades 6. Metal frame resting on marble ‘swellings’ 7. Painting stretchers’ yard / sheltered outdoor space for restoration 8. Stair to studio 9. Access from canal 10. Metal frame and panels obstructing/revealing views 11. Puncture through existing wall Hung metal deck floating between Castello and Arsenale Vecchio 12. Main entrance 13. Lower level - storing, recording and mounting paintings 14. Revolving timber desk for close investigations of paintings 15. Timber flatfiles for finished pieces between limestone sheets Velvet top for placing the painting onto upon discussion with client 16. Lightbox 17. Openings allowing for control of lighting within the studio 18. Lamp 19. Public bridge 20. Water gates manipulating the direction of water through the lades

upper level plan

lower level plan

garden level plan

figure 51

[right] section AA

section originally drawn at 1:50 84

18 16

10 12 11

8 9 20 6 7

4 5

5 5

[act I]

docking

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

Existing arches Existing Medieval Wall Proposed marshy landscape Proposed Istrian marble lades Metal frame resting on marble ‘swellings’ Painting stretchers’ yard / sheltered outdoor space for restoration Winding stair to upper level Main entrance Painting stretchers’ metal hanger Racks and flatfiles for storing paintings Photography area Computer and technological equipment area Revolving timber desk for close investigations of paintings Timber chest for oils Revolving extruded aluminium easels for painting restoration Opening for ventilation Glazed seam Metal frame and mesh viewing deck

upper level plan

lower level plan

garden level plan

1 3

figure 52

[right] section BB

section originally drawn at 1:50 86

16 15

13 14

10 9

6 3 4

3 4

[act I]

docking

Albrecht Durer’s Saint Jerome in His Study is a copper engraving from 1514 showing Saint Jerome engrossed in work

Similarly to Saint Jerome’s study, the interior of the gate focuses on providing an almost monastic way of working where the processional performance of restoring paintings is being celebrated.

figure 53

[left] Saint Jerome in His Cell south-east axonometric

[act II]

sluicing

(verb)

[act ii]

sluicing

[lagoon] [city] [chimera] [garden]

1. to wash with or in water running through or from a sluice 2. to drench with a sudden flow

[scene 1]

lagoon

[scene 2]

city

[scene 3]

chimera

[scene 4]

garden

[characters]

the lagoon Istrian marble lades shadows Arsenale di Venezia acqua alta paper models

[setting]

Venice, Italy

[act II]

sluicing

[characters] the lagoon the Venetian insulas

[scene 1]

lagoon

1. Lazarette Nuovo 2. Murano 3. San Michele 4. Castello 5. Sacca Sessola 6. Pellestrina Lido 7. Chiogga

figure 54

[left] Venetian Insulas aerial views

figure 55

[right] Venice Lagoon

video stills extracted from the group video in relation to storm sections and individual chamber lock sites 92

[...] there is a channel, some three miles wide, between the city and the mainland, and some mile and a half wide between it and the sandy breakwater called the Lido, which divides the lagoon from the Adriatic, but which is so low as hardly to disturb the impression of the city’s having been built in the midst of the ocean, although the secret of its true position is partly, yet not painfully, betrayed by the clusters of piles set to mark the deep-water channels, which undulate far away in spotty chains like the studded backs of huge sea-snakes, and by the quick glittering of the crisped and crowded waves that flicker and dance before the strong winds upon the unlifted level of the shallow sea.

John Ruskin, “Stones of Venice”, Vol. X

[act II]

sluicing

1. Murano – known for its glass making. 2. San Michelle – Venetian cemetery island. 3. Castello – Sestiere (district) of Venice within which the Querini Stampalia sits, and famous for its gardens and arsenal. 4. Pellestina Lido – narrow strip of naturally formed land which protects the lagoon, and Venice, for the Adriatic Sea. 5. Chiogga – small town, south of lagoon known for being first form of defence and first warning against attack. Known for its unique regular planning. a. Lagoon depth up to 20m (lighter is shallower and darker is deeper) b. Morphological areas of Venice Lagoon - (dark grey) salt marshes - (grey) Sea water - (light grey) vegetation c. 1873 Map of Venice Lagoon d. Gridlines of 5km by 5km squares e. 1720 Map of Venice Lagoon. Dominii Veneti cum vicinis Parmae, Mutinae, Mantuae et Mirandolae Statibus Nova Descriptio.

figure 56

[right] The Venetian Insulas exploded axonometric

[act II]

sluicing

[characters] acqua alta Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute San Giorgio Maggiore Arsenale Vecchio

[scene 2]

city acqua alta

Acqua alta, or ‘high water’, is a Venetian term used to describe the phenomenon which leads to Venice’s annual floods. Acqua alta occurs when certain events such as low atmospheric pressure, high tides in the Northern Adriatic Sea and the scirocco coincide. The acqua alta of 1966 caused the most serious floods as the 1-metre-high salty lagoon water engulfed Venice. Goldoliers and tourists navigating the canals through caigo.

Venice is a fragile city.

Due to the global climate change, the frequency of acqua alta flooding the city has become six times more often than in the previous century. As a response to these threatening prospects, a manmade flood barrier is currently under construction and will officially be inaugurated in 2021. In its experimental phase, the new MOSE current barrier proved to be successful in preventing floods from reaching even the lowest-lying areas of the city such as Piazza San Marco and the Arsenale.

figure 57

Photographs of fragments of the city in the aftermath of the Acqua Alta of November 1966.

[right] a flood recalibrates the southern shore of Venice

an image of the acqua alta of 4th November 1966 with a Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute floating amongst gondolas

The average rise and fall of the tide is about three feet (varying considerably with the seasons); but this fall, on so flat a shore, is enough to cause continual movement in the waters, and in the main canals to produce a reflux which frequently runs like a mill stream. At high water no land is visible for many miles to the north or south of Venice, except in the form of small islands crowned with towers or gleaming with villages. John Ruskin, “Stones of Venice”, Vol X

[act II]

sluicing

liquified field

Arsenale Vecchio is situated between the lived life of Venice and the industrial warehouses of the Arsenale. Moreover, it finds itself floating in the immediacy of two contrasting conditions: the hard urban lines of San Giorgio Maggiore to the South and the occasional patch of dry land which at times emerges from the waters to the North. These tensions are echoed throughout the development of the thesis, where wild life meets environmentally controlled spaces.

figure 58 figure 59

[left] Chiesa di San Giorgio Maggiore elevation

[right] A Liquifying Field of Influences mapping

plane table

[act II]

sluicing

[characters] Fondazione Querini Stampalia Venetian artifacts shadows paper models

[scene 3]

chimera sciagraphical study

The shadow casted by the artifacts onto the Chimera site and its parterre culminated in a drawing of which intricacies would serve as ways of closely examining and acting upon a future architectonic language.

100

figure 60

[left] A Perpetual Process of Making [sciagraphical study] shadows used for folding paper

figure 61

[right] A New Topography [sciagraphical study] shadows casted by Venetian artifacts on Querini Stampalia’s parterre

101

[act II]

sluicing

emergent methodologies an architectural language

Due to the environmental, cultural and historical background of Venice, the thesis required a very particular way of thinking and designing in a reflective manner, taking into consideration past and present Venetian practices. The paper folding process was in continuation with the sciagraphical study undertaken in the first part of the course hence bringing the Chimera and its parterre in the site of Arsenale Vecchio. The shadows casted by the artefacts of Venice informed the emergence of the architectural language. From this, a series of pavilion-like models materialised. The folds, layers and cuts kept in mind the architectural gestures which had been explored during the development of the chamber lock during the first teaching block.

102

[2]

figure 62 figure 63

[left] Sciagraphical Study

emergence of an architectural language

[above] Sciagraphical Study

folded paper to inform tectonics 103

[act II]

sluicing

emergent methodologies

[1]

a topographical language

As part of defining an architectural language, a new topographical landscape had been explored. The casting and cutting into the plaster became performative performances in themselves. The act of removing the excess plaster reminded oneself of the periodical dredging of the Venetian canals.

figure 64

[left & right] Dredging New-found Lades Arsenale Vecchio’s “ground” re-imagined; series of photographs showing process

104

Not unlike the register device, the process of folding and ‘dredging’ the lades culminates in a new territory onto which architectural ‘chances’ unfolded.

105

[act II]

sluicing

[characters] the Arsenale Vecchio marshes the Medieval Wall lades paper models Istrian marble the copper hood

[scene 4]

garden marshy landscape

Just like the multiple layers of silt within the lagoon, the overlays constructing this map bring forth distinct qualities of a liquified marshy landscape.

1] TERRITORY

106

2] CANALS

3] SHADOW STUDY

4] QUERINI STAMPALIA PARTERRE

5] PAPER FOLDS

figure 65 figure 66 figure 67

[below] Bathymetric map of the Lagoon of Venice [below left] A Multi-layered Marsh Condition [below right] A New Territory emergence of ground conditions

107

[act II]

sluicing

emergent methodologies

[3]

a bathymetric language

The thesis called for a topographical language that would borrow qualities from the lagoon beyond in the hope of establishing a dialogue between the hard surfaces of Castello and the marshy lands of the lagoon. A sciagraphical study was undertaken by re-projecting the casted shadows of the Arsenale Vecchio storm onto the existing urban fabric of the area. The emergent landscape culminated with a series of lades that flow across the previously dry hardscape and puncture through the West side of the Medieval wall. These lades then became opportunities to give back to the community by acting as sluice gates that would control the flow of the water in the canal nearby.

figure 68

[left & right] A New Territory

Arsenale Vecchio’s “ground” re-imagined; series of photographs showing process

108

109

[act II]

110

sluicing

figure 69

[left] A New Territory

emergence of ground conditions contextualised

111

[act II]

sluicing

environmental strategies

The thesis was concerned with proposing architectures that interact with the city in a sustainable manner. Some of these strategies are poetically charged and carry a phenomenological, and indirectly, a social quality. For instance, the existing Medieval wall operates as a register of water fluctuations, recording through erosion the effects of acqua alta on the city beyond (1). These design decisions are informed by conditions previously discussed at a city level. The idea of the city being perceived as a thin surface separating the sea and the sky is further emphasised through the metal gutter of the antechamber. It starts with a wide shallow plate hovering outside the existing wall and stretches around the structure of the antechamber manipulating the course of rainwater and allowing it to pour in the semi-enclosed space as a marriage between the sea and the sky (2). Other strategies are concerned with the more practical aspects of water movement. A sluice gate regulates the amount of water flowing through the canal at the back of the Medieval wall and is carefully maneuvered by the residents of Castello and the workers of Arsenale Vecchio by means of a turning wheel located on the bridge above (3). The Istrian marble panels which define the lades also act as sluicing devices where the waters of the lagoon are permeating through the brick Medieval wall and eventually pour down (through marble gargoyles) into ‘the canal of the lived Venice’ (4). The moisture in the internal space of the Studiolo is regulated through the Istrian marble walls and the limestone plates hung close to one another and tightly to the paintings in order to absorb any excess moisture (5).

figure 70

[right] Lock // Arsenale Vecchio sectional perspective

112

4 4

113

[act II]

sluicing

1. Existing arches 2. Existing Medieval Wall 3. Existing canal 4. Proposed marshy landscape 5. Proposed Istrian marble lades 6. Access from canal 7. Painting stretchers’ metal hanger 8. Istrian marble cloak cupboard 9. Racks and flatfiles for storing paintings 10. Istrian marble chemicals cupboard 11. Istrian marble flooring for varnishing area 12. Revolving timber desk for mounting paintings to stretchers 13. Photography area 14. Extruded aluminium frame for storing paper rolls and tools 15. Computer and technological equipment area 16. Stair to upper level 17. Stair to yard 18. Painting stretchers’ yard / sheltered outdoor space for restoration 19. Copper gutter 20. Metal frame resting on marble ‘swellings’ 21. Metal frame and panels obstructing/revealing views 22. Water gates manipulating the direction of water through the lades 23. Public bridge

20 4

figure 71

[right] Gate

lower level plan axonometric 114

15 21

9 14

6 9

12 20 11

21 22 19

115

[act II]

sluicing

istrian marble

The Venetian practices of construction are re-imagined and implemented within the thesis. Typically quarried from the Istria peninsula located in Croatia, Istrian stone is a rough, durable limestone which is commonly used as part of the Venetian foundations in order to keep the brickwork and timber away from the ebb and flow of the lagoon waters. If in direct contact, the salty marsh water could lead to decay of the structure above.

Stored close to the water gate, the ships were equipped with anchors.

In a similar fashion to an existing Venitian canal, the proposed lades are dressed in Istrian marble both for aesthetics and the practical reasons mentioned above. The marble plates stretch over the entire length of the lades and stop once puncturing through the existing Medieval wall in a series of gargoyles. Alongside its material values, the Istrian marble is utilised as an anchor or a tethering point (4) from which other elements spring. 1. Lades 2. Gargoyles 3. Footings 4. ‘Anchor’ 5. Flooring for varnishing 6. Footing for desk for mounting paintings to stretchers 7. Cloak cupboard 8. Chemicals cupboard 9. Sheets wrapping around painting flatfiles

figure 72

[right] Material Dissection [Anchors] south-west axonometric

116

4 3

117

[act II]

sluicing

4 3

118

istrian marble

A similar rationale applies to the interior of the gate as moments of Istrian marble are linked to either the absorbtion of moisture from painting flatfiles or as indicators of wet areas such as the marble floor which marks the painting varnishing area.

1. 2. 3. 4.

Flooring for varnishing Footing for desk for mounting paintings to stretchers Cloak and chemicals cupboard Sheets wrapping around painting flatfiles

figure 73

[left] Material Dissection [Istrian Marble] south-east axonometric

119

[act II]

sluicing

manipulation of water

The copper ‘hood’ is articulated at its lowest points so that rain water is collected. Its course is manipulated by running alongside the public bridge respectively the glazed seam to eventually pour into the winding lades (1). 1

A series of Istrian marble lades act as a sluicing device where the waters of the lagoon are permeating through the brick Medieval wall and eventually pour down (through marble gargoyles) into ‘the canal of the lived Venice’. The ‘dryness’ of the timber yard is constantly questioned by the acoustics of the water running through the lades underneath (2).

figure 74 figure 75

[left] Manipulation of water

section originally drawn at 1:50

[right] Lock caught within the storm sectional axonometric

120

121

124

[act II]

bridging

(verb)

1. be or make a bridge over (something)

[act iii]

bridging

[city] [chimera] [garden]

[scene 1]

city

[scene 2]

chimera

[scene 3]

garden

[characters]

Arsenale Vecchio the Medieval Wall chamber lock mask ribs hull

[setting]

Venice, Italy

125

[act III]

bridging

[characters] Arsenale Vecchio the Medieval Wall artifacts from around Venice collonades

[scene 1]

city

The gardens aim at socially reconceiving Venice by re-making, conserving and presenting fragments of the existing urban fabric. Once blocking any potential seepage between the West and East, the Medieval wall of the Arsenale now recognises the liquifying character of La Serenissima. Punctures through its masonry allow social, economic and even processional dialogues between the two micro-Venices.

126

figure 76

figure 77

[above] Castello

the ‘lived’ Venice to the West of the Medieval Wall; photographs showing the juxtaposition of the dayto-day and Venice’s military past

[right] Arsenale Vecchio

Venice Arsenale to the East of the Medieval Wall; a series of photographs showing the surviving bays of some

127

[act III]

bridging

[characters] Gabriel Bella paintings studiolo Basilica di San Marco chamber lock

[scene 2]

chimera

The programme of the chamber from first semester continues to be relevant for the thesis located in the Arsenale Vecchio. The restoration, recording, production and display of art would connect the site with Castello and other public museums and gallery in Venice such as the gallery located on the first floor of Querini Stampalia. No. 3 - Promenading along the Riva degli Schiavoni

No. 7 - Carnival Thursday Fair in the Piazzetta

No. 10 - Festival of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the 2nd February at Santa Maria Formosa

No. 12 - The Antique Fair of the Sensa

128

No. 37 - The Courtesans’ Boat Promenade in Rio della Sensa

No. 32 - Wedding at the Salute

D 18

1 B

No. 27 - The Coronation of the Doge on the Scala dei Giganti

1. Nineteenth century room 2. Corridor 3. Scenes of Venetian life 4. Studiolo 5. Red drawing room

figure 78

[above] Scenes of Venetian Life [programme]

A selection of the paintings by Italian Baroque painter Gabriel Bella housed in Pinacoteca Querini Stampalia and proposed to be stored, maintained and viewed in the Chamber Lock 129

[act III]

bridging

a. Bow b. Stern c. Starboard Side (right) d. Port Side (left) 1. Canal 2. Bridge 3. Stair 4. Antechamber 5. Vestibule 6. Viewing Stool 7. Starboard Deck 8. Semi-enclosed space open to canal 9. Landing Platform 10. Gallery 11. Painting Racks 12. Limestone Plates 13. Limestone Lining 14. Port Side Deck 15. Painting Study Chamber 16. Studiolo

One of the first known story of Italians who showed a selective approach to collecting, was the poet Petrarch. The genius of the sonnets collected decent even by today’s standards the collection of coins and books, as well as determined approach to the formation of the “studiolo” — separate rooms for storing collections of objects.

figure 79

[above] ‘Cabinet of Curiosities’, 1636

Image showing Frans Franken the Younger’s painting of a cabinet of curiosities

figure 80

[right] a spatial language[1]

1:50 plan of the chamber lock in situ 130

1 13

2 A

8 5

14 4 d 6

3 c 10

0.5m

131

[act III]

bridging

a. Bow b. Stern c. Starboard Side (right) d. Port Side (left) 1. Canal 2. Bridge 3. Stair 4. Antechamber 5. Vestibule 6. Viewing Stool 7. Starboard Deck 8. Semi-enclosed space open to canal 9. Landing Platform 10. Painting Racks 11. Limestone Plates 12. Limestone Lining on Existing Building’s Room 13. Port Side Deck 14. Painting Study Chamber 15. Sail 16. Lightbox 17. Window Carved into Existing Fabric

Basilica di San Marco’s ancient brick dome had undertaken a process of alteration. The complex wooden structure shell spectacularly projected the domes towards the sky, establishing a presence by means of greater heights than the existing cupolas.

figure 81

figure 82

[above] new shell for the Basilica di San Marco

Image showing the superimposition of a timber frame on the existing brick cupolas

[right] a spatial language[2]

1:50 section of the chamber lock in situ 132

12 11

plan cutting line

14 13

d 9

5 c 4

6 7

8 2

0.5m

133

[act III]

bridging

[characters]

1] THE HULL

Arsenale di Venezia paintings studiolo Basilica di San Marco chamber lock mask ribs hull

2] THE PITCH

[scene 3]

garden 3] THE MASTS

The Venetian Arsenale had a very innovative process of building ships. Rather that assembling and equipping the ship at one time in one spot, the Venetians would build the hull and afterwards this would be towed to the next location. This meant that they could build more ships as the efficiency would increase.

4] THE WEAPONS

This page is investigating the material workflow through the Arsenale. The newly built ships would leave the Arsenale through Arsenale Vecchio.

5] THE ROPES

6] THE ANCHORS

[i]

7] THE OARS

[ii] [iii] [iiii] 8] THE SAILS

134

3] 4]

8] 7]

figure 83

[left] A Material Workflow

A Venetian medieval method of manufacturing ships; sequence of close up moments captured from Abbot Maffioletti’s map of the Venice Arsenale, Museo Storico Navale

135

[act III]

bridging

1. Semi-enclosed space open to canal. The existing shell of a typical Castello building located on Calle Celsi also provides access to the series of Gates through the Lock 2. Portal steel structure supporting the existing wall and the existing timber beams 3. Pre-fabricated RHS steel beam to support existing masonry wall 4. Starboard Deck 5. Anodised black aluminium gutter 6. Sail 7. Bridge 8. Sluice gate - series of translating and revolving metal panels controlling the levels of water 9. Existing canal 10. Existing Medieval Wall 11. Proposed openings through existing wall 12. Port Side Deck 13. Metal structure 14. Proposed Istrian marble lades 15. Proposed Istrian marble gargoyles 16. Proposed marshy landscape 17. Painting Study Chamber 18. Lightbox 19. Painting Racks 20. Limestone sheets housing the painting racks 21. Public bridge to workshops

figure 84

[right] lock in Arsenale Vecchio sectional perspective

136

10 2

6 20 11 19

17 7

13 8

137

[act III]

bridging

1. Structure for painting stretchers’ yard / sheltered outdoor space for restoration 2. Frame resting on marble footings 3. Structure and mesh of access stair 4. Metal frame for aluminium panels obstructing/revealing views 5. Public bridge structure 6. Structure for stair to upper level 7. Structure for stair to yard 8. Painting stretchers’ metal hanger 9. Frame for storing paper rolls and tools 10. Frame for glazed seam 11. Revolving easels for painting restoration 12. Frame and railing system for internal bridge 13. Lamp posts

The masts were available for installation in standard sizes.

figure 85

[right] Material Dissection [Ribs & Masts] south-west axonometric

138

5 10

11 12

8 4 7 5

9 10 2

139

[act III]

bridging 7

4 7

8 9

140

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Structure for stair to upper level Frame and railing system for internal bridge Metal rails for sliding up/down timber chest Painting stretchers’ metal hanger Metal feature visually delimitating the main entrance from the studio space Revolving metal system for mounting paintings to stretchers Frame for glazed seam Revolving easels for painting restoration Hung metal deck floating between Castello and Arsenale Vecchio Frame for storing paper rolls and tools Metal frame and mesh for viewing deck

figure 86

[left] Material Dissection [Metal] south-east axonometric

141

[act III]

bridging

visual transitions

The steel structure provides a semi-enclosed space where stretchers can be build in the yard while framing views towards the broader landscape of the Arsenale beyond (1).

figure 87

[left] Visual transitions

section originally drawn at 1:50 142

visual and acoustic transitions

The copper ‘hood’ extends over the winding stair providing shading throughout the day while visually connecting the studio with the Arsenale beyond through narrow cuts in the copper panels (1).

The glazed seam acts like a transition towards the landscape of the Arsenale while allowing indirect light to penetrate the workshop (2). The acoustics of the water running through the lades remind oneself of the lagoon beyond and its soundings (3).

figure 88

[right] Visual and acoustic transitions section originally drawn at 1:50

143

[act III]

bridging

timber

Timber is floated down rivers into Venice on barges from the forests of Veneto and the island hills of Istria. With the levels of experience that can only be accumulated over generations, different types of timber would be used for distinct purposes. Venetians use larch for piles and foundations as this type of wood petrifies as a consequence of the lagoon’s richness in minerals. Under the absence of oxygen under water, larch timber becomes extremely resistant to decay. Oak is also heavily used, however its applications range from the construction of the super-structure to that of the roof trusses. 1. Raft 2. Portal frame 3. Beams 4. Vertical and horizontal timber battens 5. Inner lining (tongued and grooved) 6. Main entrance moment 7. Stair to upper level finishes and railing 8. Public bridge finishes and railing

Unlike the Roman approach to hull construction, the Venetian Arsenal introduced the first technique where the frame is built before the actual hull.

144

figure 89

[right] Material Dissection [Hull] south-west axonometric

8 4

145

[act III]

bridging

7 9

5 8

12 11 10

146

1. Stair to upper level finishes and railing 2. Internal bridge finishes spanning across the studio 3. Timber chest for finished art pieces 4. Timber flatfiles at 45 degrees for finished art pieces 5. Revolving timber desk for close investigations of paintings 6. Revolving timber desk for mounting paintings to stretchers 7. Painting stretchers’ hanger timber arms 8. Timber chest with vertical racks for storing paintings 9. Timber chest for oils 10. Timber horizontal flatfiles for storing paintings 11. Storage for tools 12. Computer and technological equipment worktop

figure 90

[left] Material Dissection [Timber] south-east axonometric

147

[act III]

bridging

aluminium

The aluminium masks remind one of condition of doubling mentioned by Michael Cadwell and touched upon earlier in this report. These masks act like threasholds from a condition to another, tricking the senses through concealing/revealing.

1. Masks 2. Panels obstructing/revealing views 3. Viewing deck panels 4. External lining for ventilation openings

figure 91

[right] Material Dissection [Masks & Sails] south-west axonometric

148

2 1

149

150

[act iv]

caulking 1. seal a gap or seam with caulk

[scene 1]

chimera

[chimera] [garden]

[act iv]

caulking

[scene 2]

garden

[characters]

Arsenale di Venezia copper hood stair chamber lock studiolo

[setting]

Venice, Italy

151

[act IV]

caulking

[characters] limestone panels stair studiolo chamber lock

[scene 1]

chimera

The chamber lock designed for Querini Stampalia’s parterre has been detailed further in an attempt to ‘seal the gaps’ and provide a highly controlled internal environment for the storage of the paintings. This exercise involved reflecting on the environmental and structural engineers’ advice on how to delve deeper into the inquiry.

1. Pre-fabricated RHS steel beam 2. Copper struts and panels 3. Copper sheet wrapping existing stone 4. Steel lintel between existing bricks to support existing load bearing masonry wall 5. Pre-fabricated RHS steel beam to support existing wall 6. Softwood timber capping 7. Timber sliding door 8. SHS metal frame 9. Partition: pre-fabricated 25 mm bent plywood 50 mm timber battens pre-fabricated 30 mm bent plywood 10. 50 mm hung sawn limestone panels 11. 50 mm sawn limestone panels 12. Existing wall: 250mm existing internal brick wall 50 mm multi-layer thermal insulation: wadding fleece/foamed material/reflecting foil 4 mm acoustic membrane 12 mm single sheet plasterboard 13. Anodised black aluminium gutter 14. Floor: 75 mm timber floring 175/50 mm timber battens

Structural issues raised by puncturing through existing masonry walls had been resolved as well as adding the suitable layers of thermal and acoustic insulation to the existing room.

figure 92

[right] A highly controlled environment detail section originally drawn at 1:20

152

5 6 7

plan cutting line

9 5

1 1

0.5m

153

[act IV]

caulking

[characters] Arsenale di Venezia copper hood gutters

[scene 2]

garden copper

The process of caulking a ship’s hull is defined by driving rope fibres or oakum in the seams of the hull in order to make it watertight. This process also plays an important structural role in tightening up the hull and reducing the longitudinal movements of neighbouring planks. Venetians had been using this process for centuries in making sure their vessels are ready to unmoor. The thesis focused at establishing a metaphorical parallel between caulking a vessel and making “the cabinet of curiosities” a highly controlled environment. For this, copper sheets are wrapping around the majority of the hull’s perimeter and it is folded in such a way that it drives the water away from the studio.

Pitch was commonly used in making hulls watertight through a process called caulking.

figure 93

[right] Material Dissection [Skin] south-west axonometric

154

1. The ‘hood’: gutters external lining to openings 2. Folded sheet as a transition from inside to outside 3. Cupboard doors

1 1

155

[act IV]

caulking

156

1. 2. 3.

Cupboard doors Folded sheet as a transition from inside to outside External lining for ventilation openings

copper

The copper and aluminium elements from within the gate mend (seal) distinct types of seams from an internal bridge/mask partition to a marble cupboard holding the coats.

figure 94

[left] Material Dissection [Copper & Aluminium] south-east axonometric

157

[act IV]

caulking

sealing the seam[1]

Three openings through the thickness of the wall allow light in the restoration studio and provide a controlled environment with regards to lighting levels (1).

The moisture within the controlled environment of the husk is further regulated through a series of limestone linings wrapping around the flat files in which the paintings are held (2). A white lightbox hovers above the allowing light to reflect so a uniform, indirect light reaches the surface of the painting to be examined (3).

figure 95

[left] A highly controlled environment section originally drawn at 1:50

158

sealing the seam[2]

A white lightbox hovers above the allowing light to reflect so a uniform, indirect light reaches the surface of the painting to be examined (1).

The ventilation system regulates the air flow within the workshop (2). The moisture within the controlled environment of the husk is further regulated through a series of limestone linings wrapping around the flat files in which the paintings are held (3).

figure 96

[right] A highly controlled environment section originally drawn at 1:50

159

[act IV]

caulking

1. copper sheeting 2. 40/50 mm wood battens 3. 40/50 mm wood distance pieces in short lenghts 4. 50/50 horizontal wood battens and 50 mm multi-layer thermal insulation: wadding fleece/foamed material/reflecting foil 5. polythene sheet vapour barrier 6. 20/150 mm tongued-and-grooved timber boarding with staggered joints 7. 9.5mm squared edge custom sized plasterboard 8. oculus, double glazing 9. 2 x 50/200 mm beams 10. white textile lightbox

figure 97

[right]section CC

sections originally drawn at 1:5 and 1:10 160

8 9

161

[act IV]

caulking

figure 98

[right] Gate

sectional perspective 162

18 16 2

15 14

7 6

5 3

163

164

[act v]

unmooring 1. release the moorings of (a vessel)

[chimera] [garden]

[act v]

unmooring

[scene 1]

garden

[characters]

Arsenale di Venezia caigo Istrian marble timber steel aluminium copper

[setting]

Venice, Italy

165

[act V]

unmooring // istrian marble

[characters] Arsenale di Venezia caigo Istrian marble timber steel aluminium copper

[scene 1]

garden a material caigo

// steel

In an attempt to define the storm, the architectures become artifacts in themselves and liquify yet again. They set adrift over the waters of the lagoon. Venice is a city of infinite dreams and visions, it can not be contained and it will always return to its origins - the marshes which nurture it.

// timber

// aluminium

// copper

figure 99

[right] A Material Caigo south-west axonometric

166

167

[act V]

unmooring

figure 100

[above] A Perpetual Process of Making [sciagraphical study] north-east axonometric

figure 101

[right] A Perpetual Process of Making [sciagraphical study] south-east axonometric

168

169

[act V]

unmooring

figure 102

[above] A Perpetual Process of Making [sciagraphical study] north-west axonometric

figure 103

[right] A Perpetual Process of Making [sciagraphical study] south-west axonometric

170

171

[act V]

unmooring

figure 104

[above] A Perpetual Process of Making [sciagraphical study] axonometric projections

172

“Set out, explore every coast, and seek this city,” the Khan says to Marco. “Then come back and tell me if my dream corresponds to reality.” “Forgive me, my lord, there is no doubt that sooner or later I shall set sail from that dock,” says Marco, “but I shall not come back to tell you about it. The city exists and it has a simple secret: it knows only departures, not returns.” Italo Calvino, “Invisible Cities”

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174

epilogue a reflection

The thesis was founded on an introduction to Venice as being a liquified landscape. Creating a storm register and closely investigating the Querini Stampalia at the beginning of the academic year indirectly informed the decision-making process of my thesis. It provided me with a particular sensibility towards Venetian social, environmental, historical and cultural practices. Methodologically, the thesis investigated numerous and different ways in which the architectural language could emerge. The practice of working with paper by folding it opened up a new way of looking at architecture. The project might have gone in a completely different direction if the paper folds were not part of the methodology. Its scaleless quality gives room for imagination and reflection upon the spaces created as they could range from a piece of furniture to a masterplan level. This particularly worked well in combination with sketching as it enabled an architectural practice that is challenging the outcomes through making.

175

[bibliography]

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Hawker, Adrian and Victoria Bernie. Island Territories vii: Island Temporalities, move 02 Survey – Chimera and the Plane Table, Project Brief: Vol. 2, Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, October 2020. Hawker, Adrian and Victoria Bernie. Island Territories vii: Island Temporalities, move 03 Inhabit - Chamber Lock (i), Project Brief: Vol. 3, Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, October 2020. Hawker, Adrian and Victoria Bernie. Island Territories vii: Island Temporalities, move 04 Curate - folio, Project Brief: Vol. 4, Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, November 2020. Hawker, Adrian and Victoria Bernie. Island Territories vii: Island Temporalities, move 05 Fields + Gates + Locks: stories within stories, Project Brief: Vol. 5, Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, January 2021. J., Arets Wiel M. Essay. In An Alabaster Skin, 5–8. Rotterdam: Uitegeverij 010 Publishers, 1991. Morris, James. The World of Venice. New York: Pantheon Books, 1960. Murphy, Richard. Querini Stampalia Foundation: Carlo Scarpa. London: Phaidon Press, 1993. Ruskin, John. The Stones of Venice. I, II and III. New York: Merrill and Baker, n.d. Scheppe, Wolfgang, Veronica Bellei, Giorgio Agamben, Valeria Burgio, and Angela Vettese. Migropolis: Venice: Atlas of a Global Situation. I. Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2016.

Scheppe, Wolfgang, Veronica Bellei, Giorgio Agamben, Valeria Burgio, and Angela Vettese. Migropolis: Venice: Atlas of a Global Situation. II. Ostfildern: Hatje Cantz Verlag, 2016. Sennett, Richard. The Craftsman. London: Penguin, 2009. The Wizard of Oz. The Wizard of Oz - Cyclone Scene. YouTube, 2013. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg-pbSU8048&amp;li st=PLeFVeGwsk4ni3MfsKYCcJJicWmFmVlrGF&amp;index=2& amp;t=21s.

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[image credits]

figure(s) 1 to 5 - Drawings by Author

figure(s) 37-41 - Drawings by Author

figure 6 - FADE TO COLOR”. 2021. Vienna’s Classic Hollywood. https://viennasclassichollywood.com/2014/04/18/fade-to-color/.

figure 42 - “70 - Arsenale Di Venezia”. 2021. Flickr. https://flic. kr/p/DZB8yW. figure 43 - “70 - Arsenale Di Venezia”. 2021. Flickr. https://flic. kr/p/DZB8yW. figure 44 - “70 - Arsenale Di Venezia”. 2021. Flickr. https://flic. kr/p/DZB8yW.

figure(s) 7 to 12 - Drawings by Author figure 13 - “Lio Piccolo, Venetian Lagoon, Venice, Veneto, Italy, Europe - Cuboimages Photo Agency”. 2021. Photo.Cuboimages. It. https://photo.cuboimages.it/preview.asp?filename=GSH0027. jpg&s=. figure 14 - Drawings by Author figure 15 - 16 - “Lonely Gondola In A Fog In Grand Canal, Venice, Italy”. 2021. Freepik. https://www.freepik.com/premium-photo/ lonely-gondola-fog-grand-canal-venice-italy_6363045.htm. figure 17 - 18 - Drawings by Author figure 19 - Morelli, Laura, and Laura Morelli. 2021. “Venetian Carnival Masks: The Plague Doctor”. Laura Morelli: Art History, Art Historical Fiction, Authentic Travel. https://lauramorelli. com/venetian-carnival-masks-the-plague-doctor/. figure 20 - Drawings by Author figure(s) 21-35 - Drawings by Author figure 36 - “File:Pinacoteca Querini Stampalia - Ciarlatani In Piazzetta - Gabriele Bella.Jpg - Wikimedia Commons”. 2021. Commons.Wikimedia.Org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/ File:Pinacoteca_Querini_Stampalia_-_Ciarlatani_in_Piazzetta_-_ Gabriele_Bella.jpg. 178

figure(s) 45-53 - Drawings by Author figure(s) 54-56 - Drawings Groupwork figure 57 - “Acqua Granda: The Story Of An Eventful Day In Venice”. 2021. The Venice Insider. https://www.theveniceinsider. com/acqua-granda-flood-venice/. figure 58 - “[Elevation Of The Chiesa Di San Giorgio Maggiore, Venice]. | King George III’s Personal Coloured Views Collection”. 2021. George3.Splrarebooks.Com. http://george3.splrarebooks. com/collection/view/Elevation-of-the-Chiesa-di-San-GiorgioMaggiore-Venice. figure(s) 59-64 - Drawings by Author figure 65 - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320743881_ Fast_shoreline_erosion_induced_by_ship_wakes_in_a_coastal_ lagoon_Field_evidence_and_remote_sensing_analysis figure(s) 66-78 - Drawings by Author figure 79 -”Cabinet Of Curiosities - Wikipedia”. 2021. En.Wikipedia.Org. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_ curiosities. figure 80 - Drawings by Author

figure 81 -Foscari Widmann Rezzonico, Giulia, and Rem Koolhaas. 2014. Elements Of Venice. Baden: Lars Müller Publ. figure 82 - Drawings by Author figure 83 - Roser, Christoph. 2021. “Material Flow In The Arsenal Of Venice 1797 | Allaboutlean.Com”. Allaboutlean.Com. https:// www.allaboutlean.com/material-flow-arsenal-of-venice/. figure(s) 84-104 - Drawings by Author

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