Fortezza del Girifalco

Revitalization of an ancient fortress into a modern community space

Architectural Design • Interior Design • 3D Modeling • 3D Visualization • Diagramming

This fortress in Cortona, Italy, stems from the 5th or 6th century BC when the original Etruscan walls followed a course roughly corresponding to the existing perimeter walls of today. Having been plundered and sacked several times during the wars with Arezzo, it was sold to the Florentine Republic in 1411, together with the entire city of Cortona. To this day, it sits atop a hill overlooking the city of Cortona.

The fortress sits atop a hill overlooking the city of Cortona. It takes an hour's hike from Cortona to reach the fortress.

Overview

Problem

How do you adapt a military fortress that aimed to keep people out to a modern community art center that welcomes people in?

Outcome

A proposed design that revitalizes and readapts the fortress to its new functions while respecting the essence of the existing space.

Concept

The design intention is to bridge the old with the new through the use of openings and connections. Connections will be made between spaces to create one continuous experiential space. The main pathway connections will bring users from the bastions to the courtyard, serving as the fortress's social core. By bridging the old with the new connecting structures, existing layers of the fortress will be revealed alongside the new modern layer that speaks to the historical roots. The new character of the space is intended to be open, welcoming, and accessible to suit its new functions as a cultural art center and academy. Overall the intervention fixes the disconnect of the existing spaces that hinder the fortress’ proposed modern functions.

Info

Location

Fortezza del Girifalco, Cortona, Italy

Timeline

2 months

Tools

Rhino, Revit, AutoCAD, Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, Lightroom

Partner

Jamie Iamarino

Instructor

Barbara Vogel

Floor Plans

1st Floor Plan

2nd Floor Plan

3rd Floor Plan

4th Floor Plan

5th Floor Plan

Diagrams of Proposed Intervention

New interventions fit in within the existing building to bridge the disconnected spaces. Interventions include a new accessible stairwell for the entrance, an academy building tart students, and a studio space for resident artists.

Diagram of the existing and new interventions.

Diagram of the new pieces of intervention in relation to the existing.

New horizontal and vertical circulation paths are proposed to connect the fortress further.

Circulation Diagram Legend

Circulation Diagram

Public vs. Private Spatial Diagram Legend

Public vs. Private Spatial Diagram

Exterior Entrance

An integrated ramp stairway (stramp) design with a community garden space is proposed to improve the accessibility of the fortress entrance.

Rendering of the front view of the fortress.

Section of Added Connections

Additional proposed connections include an underground tunnel and a corten steel exterior stairwell to connect various floors and spaces together. Corten steel is chosen as a material because it ages and changes texture and colour with time. Just like how the stone bricks of the existing fortress have transformed over time.

Rendering of a section cut through the fortress.

Renderings of Proposed Space

Rendering of pergola rooftop design, which would be a lovely space to have a coffee and enjoy the sun.

Rendering of corten steel exterior stairway that connects the once disconnected floors of the space. An excavation into the fortress foundation is preserved with a glass floor top.

Rendering of the proposed artist studio building within the fortress courtyard. A community gathering stair bridges the elevational differences and can serve as an amphitheatre.

A rendering of the bastion, a space that would be transformed to serve as a gallery for new and upcoming artists in Italy.

A rendering of the proposed underground tunnel that connects the fortress's main courtyard to the underground bastion art gallery.