Piazzale degli eroi

Pathways:

The Piazza is dominated by motion, both vehicular and pedestrian. The districts, edges, and nodes are all defined by the orientation of the circulation. The vehicular traffic dominates the organization of the piazza. Everything else seems to respond to it. Pedestrian circulation is organized around what I have called “islands” that protect the user from the stampede of traffic. These islands create a network that pedestrians have to navigate to in order to pass safely. This has proved to be one of the hardest areas to “j” walk in Rome.

Districts:

A district in itself, Piazzale delgi eroi has six defined districts. The most distinct is the gated-in courtyard of the elementary school. Labeled #3 on the diagram, this is the only private district on the site. It is also a lot less porous then the other districts there is only one defined entrance and exit. Districts 1, 2, and 4 are all consist of parking areas. Parking seems to be a major issue in this piazza, along with the rest of Rome. District #5 is the area in which taxi cabs parks; making this a commercial district. District #2 corresponds to district 3. It is a children’s park. Its edges consist of walls that are colorfully decorated. These walls allow the space to feel a bit more closed in (child safe) that it actually is; being so close to such high traffic patterns.

Edges:

Since the piazza is mostly organized around traffic flow, the edges and districts are defined by the pathways that are created. In a way the districts conform to these traffic patterns. Every edge is defined by a pathway, this helps circulation and accessibility.

Landmarks:

The water fountain in the middle of the piazza is undoubtedly the main landmark. Both pedestrian and vehicular traffic is organized around the single element. It importance is exemplified by the ability to see it from anywhere in the piazza. The found however is not very pedestrian friendly. Although it is surrounded by a sidewalk, to get access to that walk way proves to be difficult and dangerous. Not very many pedestrians reach the fountain directly, their connections remains only visual. Another prominent visual feature of the piazza is the elementary school. It’s fascist architecture and sheer scale brings it a dominant stance in the areas.

Nodes:

It may seem that the intended main node for the space is the central fountain. However, due to the concentration of vehicular traffic, pedestrian access to this fountain is hindered; making this “center” completely useless other than its visual appeal. Each district proves to be its own node. Since each district is directed towards a certain function, it becomes the center of activity for that particular function.

Piazza San Pietro

The Piazza San Pietro is a space of intense use through most of the day. The first thing that struck me while studying the Piazza was the drastic underuse of the left, or Southern side of the Piazza. After some observation I determined that the construction on the Southern ring was not pleasent to be near and deterred tourists. Also, the sun strikes the Northern ring all day long, making the ring a comfortable, inviting place to stay. The square is also used primarily by tourists who enter either through the main portal in the front, or through the entrance to the North from Via Ottaviano after getting off the subway. They usually collect around the central obelisk, and take pictures in the yellow semicircle which I have mapped. A large number of commuters, including myself, must traverse across San Pietro on their way from Stazione San Pietro to Piazza Risorgimento. Our path conflicts with that of the tourists who are milling about on the Northern side.

Piazza del Popolo

Piazza del Popolo offers a wide range of landmarks, pathways, and nodes. Overall due to the traffic being diverted around the square there is always a hum of car movement, but overall the space appears quieter than most squares in Rome. This is typical for both day and night.

Pathways: The main pathways are the clearly defined streets. For pedestrians, the northern gate creates a bottleneck where people funnel into the square. These pathways all converge on Piazza del Popolo, and due to the square’s immense volume the all dilute into one another creating a place where people aimlessly meander to the other side.

Districts: The Square itself is one large district. The three main streets leading to the piazza each create their own districts, each distinct with different types of stores, attractions, and destinations. The area north of the main gate becomes an entirely different place. The overlook in Villa Borghese although directly connected to the site becomes a separate district due to both its elevation change and the meandering path the one must take to reach it.

Edges: All edges around the site are clearly defined. Most of Piazza del Popolo is bounded by walls and buildings. The major edge to the north is the old Aurelian gate to the city. The main edge to the east is the Villa Borghese. The other edges are clearly defined by brick walls and main arterial streets that terminate at the square.

Landmarks: The main landmark is the center Egyptian Obelisk. Other nodes around the piazza are two nearly symmetrical churches, Santa Maria in Montesanto and Santa Maria dei Miracoli to the south.Santa Maria dei Popolo and the city gate are the landmarks to the north.

Nodes: The obelisk and the gate become the main nodes in the square. The obelisk acts as both a gathering point and a place for orientation while the gate acts as a funnel for all incoming traffic from Flaminia. The three southern streets all terminate and converge at P. del Popolo, making the entire square a major node for the city.

Piazza Santa Maria

Piazza Santa Maria, like an urban heart, is fed by four pathways. All four of these small, narrow, cobble stone pathways are used both by pedestrians and vehicles. Everything from mopeds to compact cars to medium sized delivery trucks squeeze through these paths. Once in the piazza the districts within it are three. The sides along the piazza by the shops and coffee bars collect people as soon as they enter. The center of the piazza is another. As people venture out into the piazza they exit the first district into the center where they are then the center of attention. Anyone can look at them. Moving further into the piazza is the church of Santa Maria. The front of the church is another district. People stop and marvel at its façade before entering. The clear edge to all of these districts is simply the surrounding buildings. They contain the piazza and its activity like a four story high fence. In the center of the Piazza, in the center district is its beautiful fountain. This landmark is a central component to the activity in the piazza. Students gather and sit while they enjoy a drink, street performers play their instruments, children and dogs run up and around, and people walk up its steps and fill their water bottles in its pools. In the southwestern corner of the piazza is its greatest node, the church. All sorts of people gather around this church for all different reasons. People gather to pray, tourists take pictures, beggars gather at its gates hoping for an offering, students even go to draw its sculptures and interiors. Piazza Santa Maria has all the makings of the five basic principles.

Church of the Gesu

After closely examining and experiencing my special place in Rome, I have come to a better understanding of how the Church of Gesu's pathways, districts, edges, landmarks, and nodes are all interconnected with the other. Upon entering the church, one is immediately confronted with three landmarks; one on the ground, and two on the ceiling. The first landmark, of course, being the alter at the end of the church, and the two ceiling landmarks being the mural and the dome. These two ceiling landmarks are then reflected by a mirror at the center of the entrance, which is slanted in such a way as to allow the viewer a whole perspective of the mural and the dome. This mirror then not only becomes a landmark for its viewing, but also signifies the middle of the church (as seen from the plan view, the plan is a mirror image of itself). This mirror is also located at the beginning of the main isle of the church, and on both sides of it are three slanted side chapels that are private districts with hard edges-no one is allowed inside them. Then, as one walks further down the isle, they are greeted with two side public alters. These districts have soft edges, as they mold into the main pathways that run longitudinal on either sides of the piers. Likewise, there are also minor pathways that run latitudinal to the alter, creating nodes in the spaces of the grid where the piers lie.
On visiting my site today around 5pm, I noted how much more crowded it was then usual. The Church is only open from 4pm-6pm, and I would usually go there as early as I could and it would not be crowded at all. However, I then remembered about the light show and was excited that I would get to see it- the church was pretty much packed at this point and I had my hopes up. And sure enough at 5:30pm a light show began which told a story in Italian that I didn't understand and would light up different sculptures and painting as the story went on. Then at the very end, the picture on the left side alter slid down to reveal a hidden sculpture behind it. It was so amazing, I had never seen anything like this in a church before. After than, the whole church lit up so that instead of its usual dark and gloomy nature, the church was now open and bright and all the beautiful murals, paintings, and sculptures were in full view. It was truly an amazing experience.

Water Front Kevin Lynch Analysis

The waterfront is a collection of nodes following the boats along the shore. Above, nodes are notated as small circles. Here, older generations seem to visit friends whom work on the boats docked there. Younger generations seem to collect around the small piazza space below the major landmark on the site which also serves as a node. Highlighted in orange, the landmark is a pair of stairs leading up to the street level from the waterfront. The edges of the site, noted in hatch marks, are defined by the retaining walls that reach up to street level and the shore line. The edges change, however, for boaters whom do not experience the shoreline as an edge but as a means of major circulation. Major circulation is outlined in dotted lines whereas minor pathways are marked in solid lines. The districts change between visual and material connections. In essence the entire riverfront becomes its own district, segregated by the rest of the riverfront by the two bridges on each side. Then this becomes broken down into the two districts on each side of the river. The right shore becomes broken down again between the landmark space and the circulation paths.

The atmosphere changes significantely from day to night. Since it is the cold, rainy season for Italy, the boat restaurants have not opened yet for business in case of flooding issues. This means that the only people occupying the site in the evening are the personal owners of boats, the workers, and a few couples taking a moonlight stroll near the Tiber. During the day, there is a consistent presence of friends and couples enjoying the quiet break from the steady traffic on the street.

Piazza Trilussa, Trastevere

Visiting Piazza Trilussa on a warm Friday afternoon bustling with people, I was able to analysis my site in terms of pathways, districts, edges, landmarks, and nodes. The constant activity of people helped me better understand the main pathways as well as important nodes. I was expecting the Piazza to change at night but Saturday night I still found people walking home from the bus stop, people waiting to meet up with friends, and couples strolling across the bridge. There was actually a very large group of students sitting on the steps getting their picture taken. The major difference was not many people were using the two sets of stairs to access the river front. The river front at night is probably not the safest place to be.

Piazza Trilussa is a great place to socialize due to a number of factors. The multiple pathways are convenient to access important nodes surrounding the piazza. Its adjacency to one of the largest landmarks in Rome, the Tiber River makes it easy to find. The landmark fountain on site also aids in spotting the piazza because it’s so large and tall. The piazza itself is very large and open in the dense area of Trastevere.

Special Places - Kevin Lynch

Dear All:

You have now selected a place in Rome that has tantalized your visual palate. You have also explained as to why this particular place in Rome is uniquely fascinating to you.

From your first year instructions in architecture, you no doubt remember the Kevin Lynch five basic observational principles. Please observe your special place at various times in the week or day and describe how these principles alter with human activities and usage. You now have all become authors, so visual information and communication is now possible, as well as verbal communication. Due February 21, 2011. Have a Happy Valentine’s Day…Brigitte

Kevin Lynch Five Basic Observational Principles:

a. Pathways:

The major and minor routes of circulation, which people use to move through their

environment.

b. Districts:

The physical fabric can be visually, functionally and symbolically segregated and defined

into different zones.

c. Edges:

The termination of a district is its edge.

d. Landmarks:

The prominent visual features of the physical fabric.

e. Nodes:

A node is a center of activity