Gondola, Gondola

“gondola,gondola” Venice is a city characterized by two distinct features, each independently dictating the overall functionality of the city. One is constantly made aware of the canal as the fear of floods and rising water levels cannot be ignored. Open to the sky, one can escape the confusion of the road network upon entering a campo. Weaving throughout the city, the canal animates and nourishes life in Venice. Facilitating circulation, transportation and movement, the canal not only is highly functional, but truly defines the city as well. The dependence on the canal though, is equally a constant reminder of the threat of rising water levels – acqua alta.

Venetian campos are typically made up of a triad of urban elements: a piazza, a church and a well, and are individualized by their proximity to the canal. Though now unused, the wells were historically significant icons within each campo, acting as a cistern to capture and filter rainwater. Making the water safe for human consumption, the well thus became a critical element within the city.

The ground plane of Venice thus lies at the threshold between the rising water of the canal and the falling water from the sky. Lying dormant throughout the city, the wells become a device that can mitigate the two conflicting water sources – one rising, that everyone is aware of, and one falling, that is often forgotten or overlooked.

The design proposition attempts to reanimate a forgotten element of the city, enhance a vertical connection with water (not just the canal) and introduce a third dimension (or level) to the city.

Using the iconic wells as focal points, an intricate matrix with two distinct purposes is established throughout Venice. As a means of drawing people up, allowing for moments to look back onto the city, a network of towers are extruded from each existing well. Moving vertically, the user can either ascend using an exposed staircase, or enter the tower and access the elevator. Once at the top, a relationship begins to form between the various towers, directed views, and the user.

During flooding season, people being to move horizontally between the towers on a gondola system, activating a new level to the city. The gondolas are not only functional in that they allow for efficient circulation during acqua alta, but they allow the user to orient themselves within the intricacies of the street grid. The gondola system, triggered solely by flooding, becomes an inconsistent variable within the city.

Ultimately, the proposed towers become contemporary artifacts within each campo. Responding to the individuality of each well, the network begins to create a narrative throughout the city, establishing a new identity for Venice.