Titles
T-Z
Taobao - the e-commerce paradigm of Chinese urbanisation.Technology and the Unhoused: Does technology improve service...The Actual Cost of Contractor Invented Architectural StyleThe City as a Life Force, and its Will to LiveThe Collapse of Housing Bubble in China - New Power as New F...The Convivial City: Loneliness, Resilience, and Sustainable ...The Erosion of Forgotten Communities: The Challenges Faced b...The Hidden Network: addressing digital equity through meanin...The Interaction of Spatial Configuration and Functional Dyna...The Living and the Livable City: The Transforming Aesthetici...The Modernist Dream of Livability (California + Titirangi)The Rio de Janeiro Railway voids: An opportunity for urban r...The Role of Real Estate Market on Residents' Mental Health:...The Spatial Security Of Water Thru Access In The Built Envir...The Unmaking of a Livable Suburb: The Case of Heliopolis, Ca...The Urban Dichotomy: Unraveling the Dual Realities of New Sp...Tracing Power Shifts in Cities of Strangers: Exploration of ...Transformating Open Market. Local Knowledge and Global Risks...Transforming Urban Resilience: The Architectural Response to...Typologies of Adaptive Reuse and WildingUnderstanding urbanicity: how interdisciplinary methods help...Unraveling Issues of Declining Cities in Korea: A Text Minin...Urban Space(s) for Young People: A Focus for Resilient and S...Version Control: The Hidden Human Dimension of Building Ener...Welcome and introduction What Happens When a Sacred Place Transforms?
Schedule

VIRTUAL London.

Part of the Livable Cities Series
Perspectives from Above. Reshaping European Tourist Cities’ Fifth Facade
C. Costantino

Abstract

European cities can be thought of as the outcome of the juxtaposition of successive layers dating back from different historical periods. The latest layer, observable from above, is a complex landscape that is partially unplanned and undiscovered (Ambrosini, 2021). This unresolved layer (Medio, 2012) represents an underutilized resource for experimenting with solutions to contemporary urban challenges, spanning climate adaptation, sustainable urban growth, and social inclusivity (MVRDV, 2021). In this broad scenario hospitality architectures, in particular hotels, have always played a pivotal role in redefining approaches to designing the urban roofscape. The research embarks on a historical journey, tracing the evolution of this still unresolved layer of European cities throughout the 20th century. Pioneering projects, ranging from Unité d’Habitation habitable roof to Giò Ponti’s expressionist rooftop pool for the Hotel Royal in Naples and SOM’s rooftop hall of the Terrace Plaza in Cincinnati, among others, serve as the backdrop to this exploration. Transitioning to contemporary context, focal points emerge among European ‘tourist cities’ (d’Eramo, 2017), which present important socio-economic issues, encapsulated in the complex interplay between visitors and locals. Paradigmatic case studies are brought into focus, ranging from Zoku’s collaborative rooftop workspace in Amsterdam to the exclusive swimming pool of The Social Hub in Florence, overlooking Brunelleschi’s dome. The primary objective is to unravel the transformation of the urban roofscape over the past century, establishing the foundation for a comprehensive examination of the different meanings attributed to roof space. Furthermore, a critical taxonomy of rooftop design in hospitality architecture is proposed, aiming to provide practical guidelines for reshaping our (tourist) cities’ fifth façade in more liveable, inclusive, and socially sustainable manner.

Biography

Claudio Costantino is an architect and a PhD student. His research explores the evolution of the architecture of hospitality and its impact on the contemporary built and social environment, focusing on the emerging hybrid models. Until now, he was part of various international research groups within the G. d’Annunzio Department of Architecture on different urgent topics: biophilic design for the wellbeing of peripheral neighbourhoods; floating urbanity in coastal Mediterranean cities; and the implication of migration in the transformation of the contemporary urban landscape.