Rome,
Italy
Lead Designers: Mary-Ann Ray
In the formation of the architecture for the island and for the program, the starting point is a horizontal dividing line that takes the physical form of a plane or deck. This dividing line is coplanar with the present day ground of Rome, and divides what might be a 'past' below, and a 'future above. The surface of the deck plane is smooth and singular above, and structured and shadowed below.
The hospital (hope for the future) runs in a parallel, forward-looking position, while the archaeological storage (with recollections of the past) is structured crosswise, like the ribs of a ship or ark - recalling and 'building in' the memory of the ancient island that took the form of a ship of stone.