Drawing water explores the relationship Italian innovations in hydrological design and its contribution to cultural and civic life in cities. The project was decided into three main parts: (i) researching Florence's relationship with water, (ii) creating analytical drawings of historical hydrological typologies throughout Italy, including wells, baths, cisterns, aqueducts, fountains, naumachiae, and nymphaea and (iii) producing speculative drawings which adapted lessons learned from the typological analyses and situate them into contemporary Florence. At the end of the course, student compiled their work into a book titled “Drawing Water: Inventing Hydrological Hybrids” where it includes analytical drawings of hydrological typologies and speculative drawings of contemporary florence.
analytical drawings
fountain of santa maria maggiore
The fountain of Santa Maria Maggiore: The fountain was supplied by Acqua Felice and is located in between the only surviving column from the Basilica of Constantine and Santa Maria Maggiore. It’s original design consisted of an oval-shaped basin, with a pair of water-spouting dragons, or maybe a dragon and an eagle, by each end; midway along each side was a further out- let in the shape of a small relief featuring a dragon-eagle and a tiny basin supported by a grotesque face. In the middle of the oval basin, a smaller one, round in shape and rested on a baluster, was filled by a central jet of water. The section depicts a drain (at the left of the fountain), a distribution bottino housed within the base of the column to the right of the fountain, and a beveratore for animals on the opposite side of the column, indicating a clear separation of water intended for animals and that for people. The fountain we see today, though, is a bit different: sometime during the 18th or 19th century the large dragons were taken away, and later on also the top basin and its baluster were replaced with smaller ones, of minor artistic value.
site plan of fountain in relation to basilica di santa maria maggiore
plan of the fountain of santa maria maggiore
elevation and section of fountain of santa maria maggiore
fountain of moses
The fountain of Moses in Piazza San Bernardo was erected be- tween 1585 and 1589 as the first of the Felice civic fountains by Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590). Known as a mostra fountain (from mostrare, “to demonstrate or exhibit”) the Moses announced the Acqua Felice’s arrival within the public realm. The Prophet is seen pointing to rocks from which Felice water gushes. As the fountain stood above the abitato on a major highway, it functioned like a billboard, proclaiming Sixtus’s responsibility for Rome’s revival. At its base, drinking water issued from the mouth of two sculptures of Egyptian lions and two of medieval lions. In front of each column adjacent to the basins. A low parapet was assembled to protect the fountain from passing carts and prevent horses from drinking at the basins. Small gaps between segments of the parapet allowed people to walk up to the fountain to drink form the lion’s mouths.
plan of fountain of moses in piazza san bernardo
elevation of fountain of moses in piazza san bernardo
speculative drawing
The people of Florence are and have always been fearful towards the Arno, especially after the 1966 flood which caused casualties and destroyed millions of masterpieces and rare books. Ever since, there has been a disconnection between the Arno and the people of Florence.
This is a proposal for introducing a new relationship between the people of Florence and the Arno, by using the loggia below the Vasari Corridor as a threshold between land and water. Steps were being introduced to enable the people of Florence to have a direct access to the Arno. At the same time, by using the concept of a fountain, where it is able to attract a large crowd of people and to celebrate water as a natural resource, a water park with floating platforms, swimming pools, waterslides, and jumping boards were designed to engage the people with the Arno. However, the floating platforms and swimming pools serve as a dock too, where boats will be able to anchor at any time of the year. The water park is both a public amenity and a place for people to have fun by the Arno. It encourages the people to embrace the water, rather than to fear it.
Florence, water you waiting for?
