go......SEE Rome.

Project Introduction:

The agenda of this project is to question the pace and personal value of the typical, present-day tourist experience, set within the context of mass tourism in Rome. The intention is to provide a public tourist facility that aims to slow the pace of which the cultural heritage of Rome is experienced.

The hope is that by looking at less in greater depth, we might indeed SEE more. That the typical tourist might be converted from 'sight-seeing' to 'site-seeing' with a more thoughtful and enriched understanding of their immediate surroundings.

The site chosen for the building borders the Via dei Fori Imperiali, Mussolini's desired processional route between the Piazza Venezia and the Coloseum, and also overlooks large areas of the Roman Forum.

The intention for the project is to provide a place for shelter and rest, information, nourishment and cultural stimulation, within a building that rigorously explores and exposes the site and its immediate surroundings through a journey of views. The emphasis on a slower pace is enhanced by the provision of alternative seeing tools, and a prioritising of sketching and drawing above the speedy idleness of the digital camera.

Images included:

Seeing aids:

- Camera exchange
- Chair vending

Site Seeing - site analysis



by Rachel Harris.

ROME: Culture & Commerce by Tom Marsh

The story begins with Mario Resca.  The government have formed a new 'super manager' role for him, his task being to create more revenue from Italy's museums.  Vallorizazzione or value-adding is the buzz word.  It is understandable that there is plenty of controversy surrounding this appointment.  Can the culture and heritage of Italy survive the inevitable influence of modern commercial business?

The brief aims to test this idea by proposing a sort of 'McMuseum' that merges exhibition space with retail space that efficiently extracts money from tourists.  It will house two exhibitions; a temporary show of original pieces that are to be loaned abroad and a more permanent collection of plaster casts from these pieces.  This duality questions whether culture can coexist with capitalism.  By adding 'value' to the museum, is the de-valuation of culture inevitable?

The idea of consumption is key to this project.  The building will be sited opposite the Pantheon in central Rome and the architecture will literally consume its surroundings for added attraction.  It is impossible to compete with the ancient wonder of the Pantheon in a contemporary building, however it is possible to offer alternative and enhanced experiences of it from within this building.

Palatine Archaeological Centre, Rome

Project Introduction

This project started by investigating the popular tourist destinations of the Roman Forum and the Palatine Hill. The latter is much less visited in comparison, perhaps the necessary journey to ascend the hill daunts many visitors, similarly; the lack of any well-known 'site-seeing' monuments that await visitor’s upon the hill means that many choose not to go on and explore the fascinating grounds.

Another great shame is that much of the site is inaccessible to any ambulant or disabled users. The Palatine Hill once accommodated one of the most complex arrangements of architectural space known to civilisation; surely it’s not too ambitious to think that this site could now become accessible to all?

The Master Plan looks to reinvent the Palatine Hill, give new merit to its visit whilst opening up some levels to the public, giving it back to the people of Rome. The scheme centralises around an area in the heart of the hill, an area which links the underground networks together and allows visitors to choose how to experience the Palatine. The space itself is a large excavation, built from the process of preserving some of the roman ruins. Modern technology is displayed in its performance, suspending fragments of the ruins, allowing visitors to view and interact with the archaeology in unprecedented ways.

The Bund Tourist Tunnel, Shanghai

"A pedestrian transit tunnel crosses the Huangpu River from the Bund. Passengers board slow-moving powered vehicles which travel along the tunnel, with light effects projected onto the walls of the tunnel. These effects are marketed as a tourist attraction."

Thought this idea of practical transport solution come tourist attraction might be interesting for a few projects. For more photo's search Flickr, there a a few different light effects. It's a bit like Willy Wonka, you can watch it here.

'Touring Britain'

'Touring Britain' is a series of two TV programmes on BBC4, exploring the use of the travel guides. The first programme, which screened this evening, looked at the impact of the Baedeker guide:

"Cultural historian David Heathcote uses his favourite old 1887 Baedeker Guide to explore modern-day Britain, discovering unexpected delights and hidden treasures which were popular with Victorian tourists but are rarely visited today. Following in the footsteps of early American tourists who arrived off the boats in Liverpool, he takes the advice of the Guide and discovers 'the most fashionable of Welsh watering places'. The Guide then recommends a trip to the salt mines, popular with American visitors 100 years ago and, surprisingly, just as interesting today. He then travels on to Manchester, recommended by Baedeker as a hotbed of music, politics and radical thinking and discovers that the spirit of what attracted the curious visitors 100 years ago lives on. The journey ends in York where modern day tourists follow in the footsteps of their Victorian counterparts and enjoy the magnificent medieval city and cathedral. As he travels, Heathcote explores the story behind the guide books that were so influential in creating the independent traveller as we know it today."

It can be found on BBC iPlayer here.

Next week's programme will look at the Shell guides for motorists that were produced from the 1930's.

Brits Abroad

Breakdown of all UK Residents trips abroad by: a]Destination, b}Reason for Travel [Holiday/Buisness/Visiting Family &Relative/Misc], and c]Method of Travel.

Collective Memory

A Map representing the distribution of Flickr photographs taken of the top 10 British Holiday destinations.