Citizens without a City by Jan-Jonathan Bock

Author:Jan-Jonathan Bock [Bock, Jan-Jonathan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Europe, Italy, Nature, Natural Disasters, Political Science, Public Policy, City Planning & Urban Development, Social Policy, Social Science, Disasters & Disaster Relief
ISBN: 9780253058874
Google: Jd9KEAAAQBAJ
Publisher: Indiana University Press
Published: 2022-02-15T05:20:43+00:00

The form of the three cubes is intentionally plain. Renzo Piano didn’t want to distract from the Spanish Fortress. The cubes don’t have any elaborate decorations, and they are made from wood. We use a range of different natural colors for the facades—green, yellow, orange, and light red—to match the tree leaves changing colors throughout the seasons. The concert hall won’t dominate this space; the buildings are low and tucked away behind the trees. The building material is inconspicuous. This isn’t meant to be a permanent building either. As soon as the auditorium in the Fortress has been repaired, the three cubes will be dismantled and relocated to a different area of L’Aquila, perhaps near one of the Progetto Case resettlement sites to redevelop the periphery and provide cultural and social spaces outside the centro storico.34

He added, with a dose of irony, “But then, as we all know, in Italy nothing lasts longer than the provisional.” The others chuckled. Franco continued, “The main cube leans forward; it stands on its edge. This is a reference to the earthquake that rocked our city. At the same time, the concert hall illustrates L’Aquila’s revival: it is a model for reconstruction, for the birth of a new city.”35

For Franco and the other students, the Auditorium del Parco was exciting because it showcased how traditional architecture and innovative design could be combined to shape recovery and transform L’Aquila into a more forward-looking urban environment. It was an experiment with new materials and styles, complementing historic limestone architecture through contrast while respecting the park environment. Furthermore, the plan to relocate the new auditorium following the repair of the old concert hall was conceptualized by the students, as well as by the leading architects and planners, as a contribution to the revitalization of L’Aquila’s periphery. Piano’s project challenged urban traditions—stone architecture, baroque and Renaissance forms, and the preeminence of the centro storico. For the students, it heralded an alternative urban future, and furthermore, they could participate in its construction and realization as aspiring architects and engineers. Speaking to Franco after his presentation and tour of the building site, an elderly Aquilano expressed his approval:

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