Florence Book
December 2022 | Professor: Zeuler Lima
This project focuses on connecting a fragmented section of Florence’s urban fabric using ramps, platforms, and underground passageways. By incorporating natural elements and gathering spaces, the design aims to transform a congested and uninviting area into, not only a more efficient connection but also a welcoming environment. Visitors will find seating areas, greenery, and shops along the main circulation paths, creating a mix of activity and rest. The 4-week project culminated in a hand-crafted book featuring drawings and sketches of the space, as well as a mural designed specifically for the underground space.
Progress is not always linear, and no city shows that quite like Florence. This mural is inspired by the expand-and-contracting nature of Florence’s history as shown through its physical city boundaries.
Entitled "Pulsation," this mural seeks to capture and celebrate the many different layers of the city's past that continue to shape its present. Inspired by the concept of the palimpsest– a manuscript in which the original text has been erased to make way for new writing– my mural explores the way in which the city's past continues to resonate and influence its present. The map of Florence’s border throughout history is scaled, rotated, reshaped, and layered. New details are found in the graphics– created by the addition, removal, and transformation of what came before– just as pockets of layered time and space are found throughout Florence. As the mural exists in its physical site, the lines and shapes grow beyond their boundary to creep into the space adjacent. I have sought to create an engaging work of art that captures the pulsating energy of the city and its ever-evolving identity.
