DESA1002 'Nine Quarter City' - <Yi Fan Zhang>

Abstract

Throughout this semester I have worked on a multi-complex building which main purpose was to cater to the cultural arts and culinary needs of Venice, whilst also utilise the space available to its full potential, since my site is indeed the south-west corner of the famed Piazza San Marco. For the design, I have decided not to deviate too much from the surrounding architecture, taking the site into consideration, so for the look I eventually went with was more of a ‘modern take on a classical building’. The multi-stories restaurant, cafe, and performance arts centre, which I chose to work on proved quite challenging to design, as like many people, I took the original plan quite literally, and it inturn proved quite geometrically restricting. Finding enough space in the beginning, particularly for the performance studios proved to be quite difficult, if not a bit desperate. However, when the decision to extending the entire northern facade forward into a columnade was made, the problem of space was solved, and further design options emerged, like the joining of circulation, public, and private spaces with communal balconies overlooking the Piazza, giving visitors a wonderful viewing platform even if they’re not there to use the facilities. Week after week, I’ve had the opportunity to improve the program and the design my building, whilst I do believe I succeeded in planning out a functional building program and circulation system, I do however regret in not taking more risks with the overall design of the building, which in my opinion is a bit too conservative. Perhaps a more daring design would’ve given the building a more unique look, as well as the potential for a very interesting program. But overall I am pretty satisfied with the end product, considering the amount of time we were give.