Erasmus Exhibition
Vita e distruzione [Life and destruction]
Annotation
The project for the Parco della Susanna in Catania is based on a deep dialogue with the
landscape and local culture, inspired by Vera Slepoj’s vision of Mount Etna as described
in her book “L’inconscio dell’Etna”. Etna, with its grandeur and ever-changing nature, is far more than just a volcano: it is a living, pulsating presence that is intimately woven into the identity of the inhabitants.
The people of Etna are not “guests” of the volcano, they do not merely “live” on or at its
base; they are Etna itself, embedded within its very soul. In this sense, the volcano is
therapeutic for its inhabitants, especially at this historical moment when we must
decide how we should behave towards this planet.
my key experience from erasmus
This studio, a landscape studio, gave me insight in a very different
approach towards architecture and designing. During my studies I worked mainly on projects within
the Netherlands, so doing one in Italy really learned me how things can work differently in another
country. For instance, how to design with a complete different climate. Having to mentally put myself
in a place I haven’t been to was a nice challenge to test my ability to mentally go to another place.
Working with complete different professors and students taught me a lot about different design
approaches and ideas. The large scale design was a nice challenge, as I learned how to take a more
conceptual approach to projects. This studio taught me how to corporate in a big project group.