newitalianblood

The competition task is based on a self-created dilemma. Demolition of the former buildings put an end to interim use of the Palace of the Republic before a date for new construction had been clarified. The site will hence remain fallow for 5 or more years. Instead of designing and animating the surfaces anew once demolition is complete, the design proposal accepts the rawness of the new status quo and takes it as its conceptual point of departure. The existing surface will not be altered - the ruins of the foundations of the City Palace and the Palace of the Republic, traces of demolition, and the asphalt surface of the bleak forecourt will be conserved and bear witness to the site's contrariness. A volume of light consisting of 125 temporary lampposts will define the space and newly structure the fragmented urban landscape. The minimal design does not predetermine future use but rather, allows the site to be appropriated in diverse a