Steve Schaft

Venetië, een aanzet tot verbeelding

Venice, an initiative for imagination

Venice. A unique city with beautiful buildings, but the city also has a complex relationship with the water and the tourists. Water has always been vital to the city, but it also causes floods several times a year. The Venetians have adapted their lives to it; it has not only become part of the city, but a part of their life.    

The water poses a threat that will only increase due to rising sea levels. During my graduation, I researched what the opportunities could be in the rise of the sea level and the decay of the city that’s part of it.    

I am not trying to conserve or maintain the city with my project. I accept and embrace the water and the decay. My project ensures that parts of the city can continue to exist and develop further, but also that parts of the city will become obsolete. Experiencing this decay is an integral part of this.   

My project consists of a network that connects parts of the city. By doing this, they remain accessible and there is an opportunity for Venice to develop further. The higher the water rises, the more relevant the network will become. The city will form around this network, and other parts will mostly experience decay.    

This project is an initiative where I influence where I place the network and how it looks, but have no influence on how it is used. Everyone can let their imagination run wild and use the network in their own way, allowing the possibility of different future scenarios for the city.
 

Graduation date: 15 February 2023
Graduation committee: Bart Bulter (mentor), Gianni Cito, Bruno Doedens
Additional members for the exam: Ricky Rijkenberg, Bastiaan Jongerius