09 février 2024
RE-DISCOVERING URBAN SLABS. Towards a new understanding of Multi-level Public Facilities by Javier Perez Puchalt
This thesis discusses Urban Slabs, understood as built grounds that generate an ensemble of accessible new public places for recreation in the city. Research identifies two parts in an Urban Slab: 1) an above-slab well-delimited public space; and 2) an ensemble of below-slab spaces that are turned into public inte- riors. The above-slab space is a direct descendant of the long lineage of well-de- limited central public voids representing the political and gathering spaces of the city, the Heart of the city, like public and market squares. The below-slab spaces, originally created for functional needs like the construction of storage spaces, the evacuation of used waters or the insertion of other flows and technologies deriving from the urban densification and congestion, have become new public spaces from the last hundred and fifty years onwards.
The research hypothesis is that these multilevel and three-dimensional public facilities which Urban Slabs are constitute contemporary opportunities acting as spaces for meeting and reassembling the collectivity in the city. Through case studies, research highlights different categories related to the above-slab space first and to below-slab spaces after. The collection of categories identifies pos- sible strategies and overlooks design solutions that architects and planners can put into practice. The goal is to inspire not only the conception but as well the reinvention of public grounds in the city and the transformation and re-use of existing urban vacancies. In this way, the notion of Urban Slab emerges as a con- venient tool for contemporary and future reinventions of public spaces, where the collectivity can gather in a nonproductive context around recreational activities. Urban Slabs appear then as functional and symbolic hearts, centrally located in the city in which the urban collectivity can exercise its right to recreation in a democratized way, making use of public spaces for walking, playing, doing some sports, performing, or just gather as political acts. The topics of recreation and diversion, to which these Urban Slabs are functionally dedicated, become rele- vant in this research.
The thesis concludes with a design project as an open conclusion, exemplifying the possibility of providing the collectivity with an ambitious network of public fa- cilities, in response to the contemporary need and duty of accessibility and avail- ability of public spaces, which planners and institutions are asked to promote.
Jury members:
Prof. Beatrice Lampariello (UCLouvain), promoteur/rice
Prof. Annalisa Trentin (UNIBO, Italy), promoteur /rice
Prof. Elena Mucelli (UNIBO, Italy), président.e
Prof. Chiara Cavalieri (UCLouvain), secretaire
Prof. Martino Tattara (KULeuven)
Prof. Stefania Rossl (UNIBO, Italy)
Pay attention :
The public defense of Javier Perez Puchalt scheduled for Friday February 9 at 10:00 a.m. will also take place in the form of a video conference by teams (ID riunione: 336 367 062 739 - Passcode: kguZqK)