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Urban park and archaeological museum at Porta Furba, in Rome

Part 2 Project 2009
Gaia Biancucci
 Università degli Studi Roma Tre | Italy
Porta Furba is situated between the borders of the Consolidated City and the suburb south east of Rome. The urban context, characterized by the presence of the ruins of the ancient Roman and Renaissance aqueducts (Claudius and Felix ones) running along Mandrione alley, became by the middle of the XX century, the place where the survivors from the air raids took refuge in. It is still alive in the film memory as one of the favourite locations by Pasolini to tell the reality of his time (“L’accattone”, “Mamma Roma”).
During the centuries this Place suffered deep changes which compromised its own identity. The building of the railway and the gradual improving of traffic along Tuscolana main road ( urban fast -flowing road which links the City to the suburban context) jammed up this area making it inaccessible. By the help of evidence come to light after the excavations carried out by the Archeological Superintendence in Rome, by the historical and cartographic documents, this project is intended to redevelop the urban area and to restore some spaces. Making Porta Furba and the first part of Mandrione alley pedestrian is the condition to give the City back its lost Place. The study of the temporal and spatial overlapping of ancient aqueducts, the analysis of the evidence of excavations, of the building materials and techniques and of the spaces, materializes in the building of a synchronic route through the different historical levels. This action gives the Place a certain continuity, making it usable but at the same time showing its steps in the change. An exhibition area, at the most ancient level -4.00m, is put at the end of this experience. It emphasizes the public value of the area ,moreover it documents and restores the various traces of its history that has been buried, haphazardly in many cases, in the ages.



Gaia’ s design project started inside the Architectural Design course 4m of “Corso di Laurea Magistrale in progettazione architettonica” of the University of Roma Tre.
The design area is aimed at developing the urban and architectural aspect of “Mandrione”, an ancient alley running along Felix and Claudius aqueducts from Porta Maggiore to the borders of suburbs of Rome, following the existing outline of Tuscolana main road.
The purpose of this design is to recover the urban area of Porta Furba, which is the borderline between the Aqueducts Park and the City, in order to make it usable as a museum.
The originality of this project consists either in systematizing the historical and archeological knowledge or in using a rigorous methodology aimed at mediating between the reasons of transformation and the reasons of the conservation of the built heritage.

Tutor(s)
2009
Urban park and archeological museum at Porta Furba in Rome
The Urban area has a strong landscape VALUE but it needs to be redeveloped. During the ages, in fact, the context suffered radical changes which compromised its historical identity.
During the last Century the City grew up without any care of the Site, so that there was no memories of the Place and its importance. The purpose of the Project is to give the City back a Site where each elements is the the expression of the Historical-c
The STUDY of the temporal and spatial overlapping of ancient aqueducts, the analysis of the EVIDENCE of excavations, of the building MATERIALS and TECHNIQUES and of the SPACES materialize in the building of a synchronic route through the different hist
The Action is strictly linked to the historical rebuilding and in it finds its own justification. The park shapes the soil for further excavations in a descending route towards the most ancient level where it is placed a museum with didactic function.
The ancient layout of Tuscolana main road, in axis with Porta Furba, was the access to the City. The restoration of this old spatiality allows to identify the pedestrian main entrance to the Archeological Site and to the Urban Park.
The Fountain, which shows the water brings by the Felix Aqueduct, marked the entrance into the City as it was the first opportunity to stop along the journey. Down below on the left the ancient route of the of Marian’s aqueduct’s ditch is reintroduced a
The stratigraphic wall. Through the Roman road of the Claudius Aqueduct you reach a wall which represents the background of the route and the link of the historical levels. This part of the ground, appeared during the excavations, testifies the strati
The Archeological Museum is obtained from the ancient Roman republican level of the Marcio Aqueduct. The ancient pillars surmounted by the Felix Aqueduct appear. The designed underground space, is in direct relation with the rhythm of the archeological
general site plan
The museum. The space is marked by the full/empty alternation of the aqueducts structure which generates two structural meshes. The fundamentals are characterized in placed nucleuses and few dot-like supports. The light comes from the top, marked b
The entrance. Detail
the "model room". Detail
Transversal section
The model
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