War and Peace Museum
OVERVIEW: While studying abroad in Italy, we were invited to design a site that would offer a sense of culture mixed with the unique community of the port city, Genoa. While utilizing the ever-present topography separation from the surrounding neighborhood, emphasizing viewpoints from the site, and highlighting the war and peace this city has undergone. ‘The Encounter’ was designed to highlight the emotions experienced when enduring a struggle, such as a brutal war. The topography on site represents the emotional journey starting from the ascent into the conflict, the full force encounter, the turmoil of the aftermath, the recovery of the episode, and the reflection to choose war or peace.
After seeing the site and being the lead site designer, I recommended that we should lean into the complex topography and find a way to tell the story of “War and Peace” across the entire site. Through this, the architecture became integrated into the site and we were able to create an entire experience.
I conducted onsite research and generated a site analysis and synthesis. I led the site design exploration, collaborated on finalized visual design, and produced illustrations and graphics.
DESIGNERS: Lisa Richter, Aaron Peter, Joshua Douglas, and Ashley Cooper
CHALLENGE: Design a space that highlights the unique culture and history of Genoa while tying in the concept of War and Peace throughout the site.
IDEA: Establish a concept that highlights that “War and Peace” is not black and white and has many different elements that anyone who has endured struggle can relate to.
RESULTS: The topography on site represents the emotional journey starting from the ascent into the conflict, the full force encounter, the turmoil of the aftermath, the recovery of the episode, and the reflection to choose war or peace. Placing the building at the center of the “Encounter” allows users to embrace the turning point in a War and Peace scenario. The site and building are so perfectly embedded into each other, that you cannot experience one without the other, just as so many could not experience their peace without war.
MY ROLE
Axis
Site Research: Proximity to city of Genoa and port
Site Research: Site layout
War Path
The topography on site represents the emotional journey starting from the ascent into the conflict, the full force encounter, the turmoil of the aftermath, the recovery of the episode, and the reflection to choose war or peace.
Schematic Design Work: After conceptualizing what the “War and Peace” Museum would represent, I focused on the site telling our story.
Peace Path
Disconnection Exercise: An illustrative sketch to show the current topographic issues and disconnection from its surroundings.
Site Section: Showcasing the complexity of the topography
Looking back at the Museum.
Approaching the Museum.
Broken Axis
