Concept

 

Designing a new university to merge with existing building and surroundings, by planning new building as a linear line, to connected all  building with the least area, to preserve existing vegetation and to be contiguous with surroundings. Since Venice  has known as land with water, water become a main element for the buildings, to give a feeling of being  an island. A water pond helps to reflect light, sky and surrounded historic roofscape, aiming to  merge building with surroundings.   Juxtaposing new and old, nature and manmade,  sky and water, will  make people curios about the facts that what it actually be. Similar to process of learning that learner  always be curios, questioning, and finding answer by imagination and creativity.

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Looking from the top view, it's seem to be peaceful and quiet, while inside there are several facilities, provided for both students and visitors. Moreover to respond the diversity of cultures, an exhibition area, multipurpose area and auditorium  were located  in semi public area where is easy to approach, with natural view of Poveglia island. Which make  this place can be university, exhibition place, and tourist attraction at the same time.

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A 26,000 sqm. university (including existing building), is divided into four zones follow function uses and circulation. All the facilities cover, pier, information office, classroom, exhibition hall, auditorium, canteen, administrative office,  sport recreation area, relaxing area and student dormitory.

Campus encourages to make a use of natural resources such as getting nature light into a room or collecting water to a storage tank. One of them is water reflecting pond, not only for visual issue but also it used as water treatment during a collecting of rain water.

 

Part1

The pier surrounded by Venice style poles, is a main and the only one entrance of the university from other islands. The walkway from the pier will pass an information office and lead to the first building, with 12m. high ceiling , which is a transition space to classroom, administrative office or roof top reflection pond. In addition, this building can be used for exhibition or performing area. Twenty classrooms are provided enough for two thousand students in campus, a glass building allow to get  natural light into classroom, also an outside view  is able to be seen. Not only a classroom was set for learning, but also an outdoor relaxing space, giving a different experience and atmosphere . Besides classroom, there are staff offices, and a sightseeing tower for panoramic view of Poveglia island and surrounding, similar to other landmarks cities in Italy.

 

Part2

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The main exhibition area, the place where welcoming both students and visitors,  was located  next to a transition building, it is designed to have many inverted cone shaped columns, inspired by arch and column in Venice, bringing a derelict island back to life again. A two-storey public glass office, is installed in existing building. However, only half of building was replace wit glass hall, another half was left to create a different atmosphere by placing seating stands. Due to the characteristics of being island, library is extended to the area, next to the Venetian Lagoon, to get a chilling aspect from nature light and lagoon view. A circle auditorium, is placed in the west side of the exhibition area, among forest to get a natural environment. A circle shape of auditorium is design to be harmonious with surrounded trees.

 

Part3

 

Sport recreation were separately located, to get the most potential of surroundings. A swimming pool is located on the roof top, giving a feeling of unity with lagoon and sky boundless view without any obstacles. Relaxing space was located on ground level, with inverted cone-shaped column for growing plants and collecting rain water to underground storage tanks. A boathouse replaces an existing landing stage, used as a canoe boat storage, providing water sport to students. While a standard gym is located underground, an integration of light bulbs and nature light from above is used as well.

 

 

Part 4

 

Crossing to another isolated island, a student dormitory is placed with more than two hundred bed. Besides bedroom, there are other facilities provided for students, including multimedia room, for both entertainment and education purpose, courtyard, football field, meeting room which connected to courtyard and main building. A dormitory is a new structure, but still built in a similar style of existing one, with arch elements and linear perspective. And at the end of a dormitory, there is a sightseeing point to look toward to Giudecca.

 

Plan 1

 

A university was planned in linear line from the south to the north of Poveglia island, with 4oo m. long connected all existing buildings together. Each part of campus has different levels, starting with the main entrance on ground level, to the walkway which is a ramp, going up to second floor of first exhibition building. There are four connections from the building, classroom is on the right, office is on the left, exhibition hall is on lower floor, while rooftop reflection pond is on the upper floor.

 

Plan2

Most of new buildings made of concrete, painted in white, to imitate the color of Istrian stone, a material was widely used in Venice. A glass wall is design for a nature light and boundless view. Reflecting water pond is a main element for second floor plan, it's 8.5m high above ground, reflecting sky and light and showing a view of cultural landscape. This exposed reservoir is not only for relaxing space or for visual issue, but also used as natural retreatment for rain water collecting.

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Year

2015

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Location

Venice, Italy

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Type

Idea Competition

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Organizer

Young Architects Competitions (YAC)

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