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Forte Portuense, Rome - Redevelopment concept


"I am Force of the Past. My love lies only in tradition. I come from the ruins, the churches, the altarpieces, the villages abandoned in the Appennines or foothills of the Alps where my brothers once lived..." - Pasolini, Force of the Past

Sequence of construction:

Stage one: Carefully and gradually remove all earth mounds and ancillary buildings outside of the fort walls to expose the entire fort structure (the fort walls may need lateral structural bracing as they get exposed).

Stage two: Excavate beneath and underpin the existing fort structure meter by meter to eventually lower the entire ground level to 56.7m datum, creating a new habitable level under the entire fort area.

Stage three: Construct skylight holes to light the new “sub-fort” level; restore and preserve all the fort masonry structures and replant the soil above wherever necessary to completely re-cover the fort in green vegetation. Construct the new landscape terracing surrounding the entire fort.

There would be no new structures above the current fort, hence maintining the pleasant view of the fort currently enjoyed by all the surrounding residents.

We believe the fort needs to see the light of the day; it needs to be seen, touched, used and occupied by the future generations.

The proposed landscaping around the fort is inspired by the himalayan farming terraces; the new piazza created by these terraces could form a communal theatre or vegetable allotments

The current moat is retained and covered over with corten steel beams and glass roof

Plan 1:1000

Long section

Short Section