The mountain

Project description:
Mountain landscape and fascilities rennovation idias competition
Place:
Salerno, Italy
Function:
Cultural, landscape
Area:
1100 ha
Materials:
Steel profiles, metal plates, glazing, natural stone paving
Role:
Author

Following the paths, traced by stars above, we can explore our mountain, our planet, our sky, our nature, our universe and ourselves.

This project is a constantly on-going journey through the landscape of Bulgheria mountain. The journey that will encourage visitors and local communities to meet, debate, cooperate and look together into our common future.

"Feel the mountain" is a concept where we propose to rethink the idea of scale: look at the mountain not only as a space — landscape/territory, but as a subject too — symbol of returning man to nature. Diverse scale of exploring the mountain let us feel the connection to nature (small -scale), explore the landscape in intellectual and physical way (medium scale) and be part of the universe (large-scale).

To connect these three scales one constellation of stars (asterism) should be chosen for each period of the year, according to the Earth position and thus according to stars arrangement of the sky. This constellation should be «mirrored» on the Bulgheria mountain’s surface. This way we incorporate the geometry of the universe into the landscape, uniting all levels of scale in one. Every month we can create a new path, using asterisms, to explore the mountain’s different places and viewpoints, not only by traveling through those permanently changing paths, but also by using this variety of spots for different activities.

Asterism’s silhouette help us to create net on the landscape for indoor and outdoor activities. Main part of future outdoor activities of any kind — from music shows to agricultural researchers talk — will take place on those net centers (stars reflection) during eventful festivals or «quite» periods, when territory is mostly used by locals and few groups of researchers and tourists. At the same time jazzis will operate full year and should act as multifunctional hubs, which suits interests and can be useful for all - visitors and local community.

1. Visitors center

This jazzi is a big open space with few permanent functions:

– Visitors center and information
– History of region and site-specific features exhibition
– Snackbar
– Lecture hall (in addition to one in cultural center (jazzi 2)

Most part of the space should remain open and prepared for any kind of activities, which will take place during festivals and on the daily basis.

2. Cultural center

In this jazzi big amount of multifunctional spaces are planned, but we can assume that following list of functional loads is the most demanded:
– Lecture / cinema hall
– Observatory
– Restaurant / Cafeteria
– Workshops
– Gift shop
– Administration

3. Bath

This small partly burried into the ground jazzi on northern part of our site is a quite but important destination.

Bathing and swimming on top of the mountain should be an exciting adventure for both — lonely calm process with opportunity to enjoy the amazing view, but also for meeting people in an unusual environment of today.