Botanic Refuge
2023 FALL
Instructor: John Zissovici; Alberto Lacovoni; Tess Clancy
Collaborator: Chi Zhang
Location: Tiburtina Train Station, Roma, Italy

This project reinterprets migration as a process of cultural and ecological exchange, situated near Rome's Tiburtina train station, a key urban threshold. Drawing from the metaphor of seed dispersal, the project establishes a botanical garden where migrants contribute seeds from their homelands, fostering a living archive of identity and belonging. The intervention integrates adaptive reuse, providing housing and essential facilities within renovated structures, while a bridge enhances connectivity between transportation nodes. Architecturally, the design employs thick concrete plates punctuated by light cones, creating an interplay of light and mass. Greenhouses accommodate diverse plant species, with spatial configurations adapting to varied soil depths and climatic conditions. The existing structure is enveloped in vegetation, transforming it into a "botanic refugee camp," where built and natural environments converge to facilitate dialogue between migrants and the local community.

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