DESA1002 'Continuous City' Mimi Hayton

Abstract

Tunis is a multi-layered entity: history, culture and religion have all met here and left there indelible mark on the desert. The ancient heart of the city - the Medina - is a puzzle-like sprawl of labyrinthine alleyways and crooked dwellings - a fitting reflection of the city's past and present. My design is a response to this urban context in literal and figurative terms, and i believe a school is an appropriate institution for a city entrenched in history in the 21st century, to approach a modern future whilst learning from the past. I have taken the form of my building directly from the cities puzzle-grid and extruded it; the connecting circulation bridges layered between each building represent the same aspect of the city; the courtyards - a traditional and typically private element - become spaces open to the public and the facade is treated with a combination of mosaic-style light-diffusing materials and solid masonry in the Tunisian style on walls most exposed to the sun. Children can access the rooftop for play and the boarding house serves those from rural Tunisia for whom schooling after age eleven might otherwise be difficult or non-existent. The vertical diamond spires that extend up above the rooftop serve as a beacon to those around - education is the way forward for Tunis, a city shining like a jeweled mosaic between the desert and the sea.