Only few settings can boast the charm of a desert island. From Mompracem to Robinson Crusoe, the island is a place of adventure, exile and shipwreck.
Failure and salvation at the same time – the place of the unconscious before being a real geographic site – an island is the place where people challenge themselves getting used to silence and nature, face amazing challenges. In one of the most charming places in the world, a few kilometers far from San Marco’s bell tower in Venice, a fascinating authentic island skimmed by waters, emerges shyly: Poveglia.
Despite its area extent and beauty that mark the difference between Poveglia and the other lagoon islands, over the last years this incomparable gemstone had to undergo, a disastrous decline. Without any connection to the mainland, abandoned for almost 50 years, today in Poveglia a thick vegetation has grown wild affecting every cultivation and crushing every architecture.
Venice has never completely forgot Poveglia, but its citizens stopped visiting the island over time has become a natural setting for the grimmest tales and fantastic rumors. But, this situation will soon change. The Italian Government – the owner of the estate – has lately put a spotlight on Poveglia, in order to make a reuse of the island possible.
In the wake of this purpose, YAC launches University Island, a project to transform Poveglia into a dream university campus; a place of training, leisure and relax for the many students gathering in Venice.
How to transform a desert island into a spearheading study and research center?
Which architecture should be integrated in one of the most delightful locations in the Venetian Lagoon in order to create an international campus to equal the value of one of the most stunning cities in the world? How to transform a desert island into a spearheading study and research center?
On these questions, YAC, with the support of RIAM, lays the foundations for University Island inviting all the designers to feel completely fascinated by the magnificence of one of the most breathtaking places of the Venetian Lagoon and to plan a new future composed by activities, good attendance and the vitality of thousands of students who every year choose Venice as an esteemed location for their studies.
Yac thanks all the architects who will take part in this challenge.
Winners
First Prize
D.Vision Architecture
Kiana Jalali, Matteo Pagani, Alessandro Vitale
Second Prize
embe office
Emanuele Bruno
Third Prize
opps+2c
Francesco Polci, Filippo Pecorai, Antonio Salvi, Paola Chiriatti, Chiara Caroli
Gold Mention
SDCB
Andrei Bacoșcă, Alexandra Scurtu, Diana Cosman, Roxana Durdun
Gold Mention
NF
Nestoras Skantzouris, FOTEINI LIAKOU
Gold Mention
LAM
Andrej Štornik, Luka Peklaj, Miha Rijavec
Gold Mention
EFESTO
Gaia Cella, Gaspar Canepa
Mention
Atelier MPBM
Barbara Marinucci, Mattia Pezzolla, Giuseppe Ragosta, Giovanna White, Andrea Marchese
Mention
Lapo Ruffi, Vanessa Giandonati
Lapo Ruffi, Vanessa Giandonati, Tommaso Clement
Mention
cavejastudio
Alessandro Pretolani, Filippo Pambianco, Nicola Romagnoli, Eleonora Fantini, Nicolas Piazza
Mention
Sushicats
Jessica Jiang, Helena Rong
Mention
OMNE Collective
Pierre Chastel, Adrien Daniel, Iris Chervet
Mention
BassettBenner
Jon Benner, John Bassett
Mention
RoSca
Fredrik Thornström, Ana-Maria Pop
Mention
Marcin Kitala
Marcin Kitala
Mention
LRM
Miha Munda, Lucija Podgoršek, Rok Primažič, Marko Primažič
Mention
FIOR.E
Florian Giannis Liakos, Irene Helen Marcantonatou, Alexis Visvinis