My experiences in Rome and abroad have been some of the most memorable moments in my life which I will carry with me forever. I’ve never felt so out of my element or more at home in Rome than anywhere else. I had many expectations coming to Rome, some of them fulfilled and some not. Rome has had a significant influence on my life and specifically on my design ideologies. I am grateful to have had this time in Rome and look forward to using what I have learned in my future work.
Rome as a city is very unique and has been a challenge to design for in studio. There is such rich history in which I was forced to research, comprehend, and then incorporate into my designs. I realized I enjoy working in a context with such resources. My designs must relate to the site and its history not just the normal context of wind and sun directions. In both studio projects there were iconic elements near or on site that demanded attention. For our first project the Colosseum was just North of our site and for this second project, the Tiber River is just South of our site. Both of these elements required some sort of interaction or reference as most sites in Rome do for other historical important place. As the designer, I was forced to take a position on the existing artifacts on site. Should I demolish all historical contexts, should I renovated and copy this context, or should I use my work to contrast this context? There are many design solutions, but the fact remains that Rome’s context can never be ignored.
From my observations I have noticed Roman citizens also have a strong presence which cannot be ignored. Although I have not gotten to know the Italian people as well as I would have liked, I still interacted with them daily and picked up on a few traits. My first impressions have been that they can be rude according to American standards. On my routine bus ride to school, the #280 bus can be quite packed. Everyone is pushing everyone. At first I was so apologetic saying sorry to everyone but I realized most Italians don’t really bother with that on the bus. Since everyone is pushing everyone, why apologize. One is more apt to hear “mi scusa” in a less crowded place like the bar in the morning. The local bar in Trastevere has been a great place to observe Italian interaction. Everyone is so friendly there. Two brothers run the place: Massimo and Leonard. They greet everyone with a friendly “Boun giorno” and make small talk with all the costumers. They now know my favorites, cappuccino and bomba. Italians are great people and looking back I wish I had pushed myself to interact more with them and practiced my Italian more.
Another place where I like to observed people was at Piazza Trilussa, the place I chose to study for Engaging Places. This piazza was constantly in use by both locals and many tourists. It’s a great landmark for meeting people in the neighborhood of Trastevere due to its adjacency to the river and pedestrian bridge: Ponte Sisto. This open piazza helps draw people into the narrow streets of Trastevere as well as leads them out in times of frustration. Trastevere can be very confusing if you aren’t familiar with the area. After living the entire semester there I still get lost.
I personally love Piazza Trilussa so much because after my run along the smelly Tiber River I emerge from the Ponte Sisto stairs and am greeted with fresh air and this large open space partially shaded by the large papal monument and fountain. It’s a great place for me to cool off and people watch. At night especially on the weekends this place is buzzing with groups of drunken young people yelling and having a good time. Piazza Trilussa is always fun to be around.
As much as I enjoy Piazza Trilussa there are a few other places in Rome I’ve also grown fond of going. Largo Argentina is always an exciting place where I often switch from the #30 bus to the #8 tram to go home. If I miss the tram, I enjoy the walk from Largo Argentina over the bridge into Trastevere. There are lots of stores to window shop and there is usually entertainment along the sidewalk such as singers and violin players. One man draws pictures in chalk on the sidewalk and sometimes I run into a few stray cats by the “Cat Ruins” in the center of Largo Argentina. The day of the 17th Rome Marathon there was complete chaos as the race cut right through Largo Argentina disrupting all of the bus routes, car traffic, and pedestrian traffic. It was quite exciting to be apart of though, cheering the runners as they passed. Largo Argentina is a bazaar place now that I think about it, but it’s a great atmosphere be in and is an essential place in Rome.
These special places in Rome, Roman citizens, and my studio projects have taught me invaluable lessons about culture, history, and design. I hope that when I return to the States I will apply this knowledge to my life and my design work. Right now I miss my family and home, but I know that when I leave Rome and settle into my daily routine in Philadelphia, I will definitely miss my time in Rome. I really hope this was not a once in a lifetime opportunity but that I will soon return to Italy to continue to learn from Italian culture and design. I’ll be back.
No comments:
Post a Comment