The wetlands were described by Dante’s “Gate of Hell '' as an uninhabitable “dark” and “dank” forest. The forest was overwhelmed with mosquitos, which brought upon frequent malaria outbreaks and the spread of Briganti. The nomadic groups of people brought about chaos and manipulative characteristics of the land, such as lack of roads and connections.
Although these areas are historically described as a cruel landscape, a culture with a thriving ecosystem exists beneath the negativite layer painted by historical figures. The marshlands are home to many fauna and floral ecosystems that contribute to the maintenance of this landscape. This is demonstrated through the emergence of colors as the present animation of nature beneath the crude elements of Dante's representation style.
The representation argues that Maremma has a natural beauty sustained by the various ecosystems, communities, flora, fauna, etc. that should be preserved. Rather than attempting to drain and control the natural environment that was brought upon by modern society and political powers, the natural environment should be embraced, which would not completely overwrite it but also not completely leave.
The previously stated historical research and understanding of various ideas in preservation existing today, led us to our concept and design of Misericordia.
This fragmentation concentrates on the exterior/interior relationship. Through a series of folding and peeling, we aim to blend the boundaries of inside and out. We choose eco-concrete as our main material to aid the existing structure and reduce the toxicity of the site.
Along the east side of the model, there is a green wall, which is meant to act as a transitional element between the built form and the natural form. The green wall merges into a horizontal garden in the interior spaces, which directly incorporates nature within. Additionally, we took advantage of existing holes in the roof of the abandoned factory and allowed nature to grow through it, for example, the tree growing in the middle. Inside, there are vertical birdhouses that provide shelter for birds. This space represents the coexistence of humans and animals.
This fragment represents the relationship of new walls with the existing structure through a series of carving, cutting, and peeling. The most important aspect of this fragment is the way the intervention carves into the existing structure and the ground after peeling off one of its walls to create a grotto.
This grotto will be where birds and other various animals begin to reside. The organization of the shelves within the grotto acts as an extension of the structure of the intervention in order to keep the free-flowing language consistent. Just as the wall peels off the existing building, the walls of the shelves peel off the intervention, creating an enclosed space where birds and other animals could nest.
For the last fragment, the ground articulations facilitate boundaries between built and solid ground, swamp, and lagoon. We extend the sharp platforms to cut into the building's envelope. This opens the space up and extends the lagoon to allow for access through the platforms scattered across the space.
These heavy elements used to access the existing building highlight the contrast between intervention and existing conditions. While breaking and splitting these boundaries between the different natural elements. Allowing for flora and fauna space to coexist with human recreational space.
