Studio BA4 (Gay et Menzel)

Urban Legends - Genova

The Gay Menzel Studio addresses the context as a source of development of a narrative linked to the site itself. This highlighting tool reveals the inherent qualities of the place and integrates projections or personal aspirations into it, with the broad ambition of reconnection to the environment. Students through a series of exercises spanning in both semesters will develop an outdoor public space and a mixed-use building in the form of a social club in Genova.

The making of sense

In this time of crisis a reassessment of our way of life is essential. The quality of our relationship with the city, with pubic space and nature, our way of living is questioned. Maybe a solution would be "resonance", of which the German sociologist Hartmut Rosa speaks, proposing to us to redefine our rela­tionship with the world, to create what he calls the axes of resonance? In this time of crisis, and in the post-confinement, a reassessment of our way of life is essential. The quality of our relationship with nature, with the territory, with our way of living is questioned. Maybe a solution would be "resonance", of which the German sociologist Hartmut Rosa speaks, proposing to us to redefine our relationship with the world, to create what he calls the axes of resonance?

Unveiling narratives

The development of a project strategy is addressed through the narrative, as a crystallization of a specific understanding of the site and personal imagination. How does the architect, as a person, as a user, influence and generate anchor points to make places legible, porous and appropriable in order to give them meaning?

Social Spaces

Genoa, nestled on the Ligurian coast, commands the namesake gulf and occupies a slender expanse between the Apennine Mountains and the sea. Its strategic location has fostered a tapestry of cultures, both local and foreign, making it a historical hub of great significance. From the XI century onwards, Genoa thrived as a major port, serving as the principal gateway to the maritime commerce of the Republic of Genoa. This flourishing era cultivated a vibrant milieu, nurturing the growth of commerce and the arts.

Genoa will give us the opportunity to discuss the plural languages of architecture. During this spring semester the theme of the social club will be examined in relationship to the densly different topographic and urban conditions of the city. These hybrid buildings with multiple programs are an opportunity to discuss contemporary challenges while offering us an opportunity to crystalize the rich and heterogenous culture of Genoa.This will lead us to the development of different social spaces answering the current needs of the Genovese society while tackling universal architectural problematics.