In the last post, I outlined the theoretical foundation for my study abroad proposal from Spring 2011. The project, in short, was about contextualizing temporary events within the culture and history of a significant place.

Thom Browne, Pitti 75 (via http://foreverydaypeople.net/2011/09/28/the-uniformity-thom-browne-at-pitti-uomo/)

Most of the research for the project was taken on weekend trips to Florence. Through the week, I would read Florentine history and prepare an itinerary which would take me to historically significant buildings with ties to the history of fashion within the city. I would then take pictures, map my route, and make notes on each place I visited.
These were compiled into master maps, which were used to determine the most meaningful route through the city.

Composite of Mapping Exercises

The route was broken up into four segments:

• The first route (A), from the train station to the first major venue (Brunelleschi's Ospedale degli Innocenti, commissioned by the Florentine silk guild) uses inward-facing mirror glass to mask the more desolate part of the city from the pedestrian and to provide the illusion of a more populated area.
• The second route (B), from the Ospedale to the Giardino della Gherardesca, is a planted arcade to provide a more natural build-up to the open area.
• The third route (C), through the major historical city center to the Ponte Vecchio, used the simple raised walkway to provide a stage for the fashionistos and fashionistas as they traverse the busiest parts of the city, leading them to the event venues and significant guild monuments sprinkled through the city.
• The last route (D), as the processional meets up with the Medici-era Vasari Corridor, the walkway is covered in outward facing mirror glass, providing privacy from photographers while still allowing views out.

Pathway Design

Having mapped the event and determined the venues, the last step was to create two simple structures to house stalls for the designers. The two venues chosen to create the interventions were two of the most historically significant: Piazza Repubblica and Mercato Nuovo.

• The Piazza Repubblica represents the gateway to the contemporary fashion district in the city. In addition, it was a a medieval market and home to most of the clothing-related guild halls during the Renaissance.
• The Mercato Nuovo was a Medieval market and home to the Silk Guild. The structure now houses a leather market.

Left: Exploded Axon for Piazza Repubblica, Right: Exploded Axon for Mercato Nuovo

These interventions (admittedly diagrammatic and somewhat rushed) reframe open space and allow for an atypical experience of the city and area, reconnecting the cloistered event to a more full vision of the city that created it.

To see the full presentation, please go to: http://issuu.com/bsteadman711/docs/eventcities

Pitti Uomo Processional (Google Street View)

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