I'm back in London! All is well, and we managed to cover the sites just in time before some torrential downpours! Here are some birds eye views of the three options. The pomice mine boundary isn't clearly defined and is more flexible, so I haven't shaded the site in red.
LENR in architecture
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I've been really torn about whcich site to choose the last few days, I'm leaning towards Messina, but it's rare that you get the chance to work on a site like Lipari.
Here are more details on each:
Messina - A busy urban site, alongside the ferry terminal, and train station, it will for sure need to address passengers/tourists, as well as provide much needed facilities that could bring people together and ease social tensions related to immigration and youth culture. There are existing factory buildings on the right of the site closer to the railtracks that can all be demolished, and an older C18 Custom House to the left that should be preserved. I imagine that in such a site LENR would need to be incorporated into a design that responds to the social/historical context. I am interested in sports and culture, so would probably go along the route of community tennis/gymnastics/climbing and arts performance or craft workshops and exhibition space. I would like to make it as green as possible, with breathing space, somewhere to break away from the crowds as well. It's a busy area with many cars and really poor parking facilities, an issue that seems widespread accross Sicily.
Milazzo - The site is spread across the existing ferry dock, which is to be redesigned to provided a better experience for tourists and can include other retail, office facilities or residential on the upper part, so a mixed use complex. The oil refineries are further away, (see image Milazzo 1). Lots of space, more freedom I think than Messina, with the major transport links, but not the same cutural/historic significance. I spoke to a local and there's a real shortage of jobs so a commercial development would be beneficial. Closer to the volcanic islands! The upper part of the site, an old paper mill, can be demolished.
Lipari - The main issues here are erosion, and steepness, but there is opportunity here to regenerate the land, bring agriculture and really express LENR in the building design. The old conveyor belts and tower can be retained or demolished. The form could be organic, curving, angular, experimetal in various ways. Perhaps a research laboratory and some community sports/leisure facilities would work well here.
I have to decide on a site by tomorrow latest! We will be making a group site model over the next week.
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Thank you for the updates.
Lipari would be an amazing project to pull off for sure - but there are so many problems. Even the access roads appear to be difficult for construction traffic. I think that there is a danger the money and the will would be exhausted before it gets properly under way. The Italian government can be capricious about funding decisions, and like many others does not always keep its promises.
Messina we have already talked anout - it has cultural as well as location factors in its favour.
The potential of Milazzo is starting to appeal to me personally more and more- despite the unknown contamination problems from the refinery site. Perhaps you could consider these ideas?
1. A ribbon of green space and shade trees along the waterside. An oasis for travelers weary of the artificial surfaces of a cruise ship. I'm sure it would look both dramatic and welcoming against the backdrop of the city. Winding paths and outdoor eateries would help to keep it alive even when there are no ships. Lighting, de-salination for the garden irrigation system? LENR of course!
2. Car parking (a lot) at ground level is situated in the covered space behind the oasis ribbon. If people can park easily, then they will visit, shop, and hang out.
3. The covered space itself could be rather like the bridge of a ship, escalators rising up from the green ribbon to a walkway with sea-views, shops and restaurants. Think of Brighton Pier in its heyday. Buskers and entertainers welcome as they are in London's Covent Garden.
4. Behind the promenade space and also above the covered parking (parked cars get very hot in the Sicilian sunshine) you might have a supermarket, a craft market, a cinema, a dance hall (Italians love to dance) and all the usual commercial spaces.
So you have a giant cruis-ship on land- but greener, softer, and appealing perhaps to those who live nearby who have neither the time or the money to go on a cruise themselves.
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I love the ideas coming through, I'm trying to figure whether the refugee issues are more pressing than tourism development, but if more opportunities exist in the local towns then this will help prospects for all, refugees included.
Some articles on the crisis - http://www.artefactmagazine.co…-sciliy-on-the-frontline/
http://time.com/4031569/migran…-europe-african-refugees/It seems the Africains that arrive in Sicily are far poorer than the Syrians arriving in Greece.
How to deal with this??
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Don't oppose refugees and tourism.
Economic wealth created by tourism make society able to afford more kindness, and by the way refugees of all kind participate much to this economy... (I know it from inside).One Egyptian tycoon proposed to rent an island in Mediterranean sea, host refugees, make business, and build a new Singapore.... Can you create Singapore.it ? One hint, let room for people to self organize, and some other to break your plan.
In IT there was a moto I've heard : "there is two king of applications : the one nobody use, and the one that is abused far from it's initial purpose "
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I agree, I'm not opposing them, sorry if it came accross that way. But what about the serious lack of emergency reception centres in Sicily??
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It is a huge problem. Egyptians, Libyans, Syrians are mostly far better educated and in better health than the Somalis (and Afghans) who make it to Sicily. But the danger with reception centers is that they become 'warehousing for people'. Just a kind of storage facility set up in the hope they will end up somewhere else. So beyond basic but sanitary and secure accommodation and feeding centers you need schools and serious medical facilities.
The answer is for governments (like the UK government) to provide serious financing - rather than spend it on vanity project follies like high-speed trains and airport runways. It's a big problem, and we should do more to help.
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What European countries should do is refuse any refugees and return the ones that have already arrived. I personally like the idea of rich middle eastern nations financing a "safe zone" for all this immigrants. For example, maybe in part of Jordan. It should not be Europe's job to take care of these refugees. If your neighbor's house burns down and you speak his language and are of the same culture, it makes a lot more sense to let him sleep in your garage then to ship him off to another part of town.
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Hum, why restricting to mid-east investor, (who prefer often to fund the problems).
I would like to fund Singapore 2.0 , provided states don't block it as I expect.
Like for LENR, no charity, just investment. I have some empathy but also admiration, no pity (just fear of some black sheeps among).
Anyway best is they rebuild their cities... People from Brest, Le Havre, Royan, Dresden, Beyrouth, did it... sometime twice.
LENR and migrant need mostly freedom to work hard, to catch funding, to create assets, to buy and rent, and not pity or subsidies...Subsidies to LENR or migrants is just like the mayor who prevent you to rent a house with the money you earn and give you a tent for free.
Both are the best undervalued investment on earth. -
I'm not sure I understand, are you saying that it's best to concentrate on providing opportunities for investment rather than basic amenities? And that both LENR and migrants have a need for investment?
On all sites there is real potential, however the Lipari site is UNESCO heritage protected. We met with the mayor of Messina (see image), who was a very inspiring character, friends with the Dalai Lama, and aspires to bring the people of Messina together. He never mentioned refugees directly but actually talked of a population shift affecting Sicily, many of its inhabitants have left to find work abroad and immigrants are replacing them. In a way Sicily now relies on its immigrants to revive its towns. He is genuinely seeking ideas for regenerating the post industrial harbour area.
Messina, from what I have read has a history of resilience, through earthquakes and wars and there is a sense of pride people carry in this.
We also met the client looking to develop the Milazzo port, and this will be a live project, though to what degree students' designs will be used in all cases is unknown. Perhaps only for consultation, but there is still opportunity to take a concept and sell to other investors.
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It is a bitter answer to todays fashion. Helping people is better than nothing, but best is to let them settle, pay their rent and make their business... They are an opportunity, not a charge.
in US migrants are founders in 50% of winning startups (see Apple). In many countries they contribute to social system positively. There is anyway problems, mostly language, but it can be managed as investment and not as cost.
Similarly it is a pity that LENR works on charity money, stealing time and lab resources from opposing national labs, exploiting benevolent and donations, while it should be considered as better investment than investing in oil exploration in 1900.You are right, as you live in the real crazy world where taking opportunity at their fair value is impossible. I'm a dreamer.
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How do you mean?? You have to start with a dream and then find ways to make it happen! But right now there are two distinct opportunities, one to address immediate needs of shelter, education etc. and the other to provide opportunity for long term economic and/or environmental revival. Perhaps fusing both could be a solution, that would have to be wrapped attractively for tourists.
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I agree.
I just want people to stop saying migrant are burden and LENR need subsidies... anyway today help and subsidies are just there to oppose blocking.
And if you do that well, it may flourish and became something you never imagined.Maybe I was wrong saying Singapore 2.0. Think of Venezia 2.0, the one of the traders.
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My Tutor's advising me to do Lipari, he thinks it's best suited to the theme of LENR!
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Our next task is designing small scale demountable building system, such as furniture, pavillions etc, that can be used on the site of choice. I immediately thought of a power unit that could be easily replicated/demounted.
We need to produce a model for Monday, so I will be working on this over the weekend and post my ideas.It would be great to have any feedback and ideas for demountable small scale building units that could be relevant to this project.
Re: Site feedback - Our tutor told me that neither of the sites are suitable for developing immediate reception facilities for refugees. The focus should be more long term development and investment in culture, education, leisure, commerce etc.
He also thought Lipari would work best for an energy theme, as I mentioned. I will try decide this by tomorrow.
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Well, you have a few things at Lipari that could help. For example, there is a whole heap of literature on using Pumice (bonded or unbonded) as a building material. It has -because of it's foam structure, wonderful insulation qualities. See this paper for an example:- http://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs…0899-1561(2004)16%3A6(573)
I will add more thoughts as they come to me.
'Trulli' - the beehive domes of Apulia. Can be built from pumice, suit the climate.
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Yes but Milazzo could provide a blueprint for many places, London included, I'd really like to be able to use this as a real world architectural proposition for LENR, that can be applied in an urban environment.
Lipari would be beautiful for sure, but how transferrable would it be?
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Lipari is - because of the terrain, the climate and the culture not transferable to London. Even the choice of building materials could be mandated by what is there. The urban sites, by nature of their very 'urban-ness' might be more easily transposed.
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Reading about pumice, it apparently stores air and water, could this not be beneficial for LENR?
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Here are details specifically on the pumice make up found in Lipari - www.pumex.it/pumex inglese.pdf
