ROCCA DI CAVE, MetROPOLITAN city of rome, LAZIO, ITALY

CONNECTING ROCCA

Tasked to connect the town center of Rocca di Cave, in the Metropolitan City of Rome, to its town planetarium, various interventions were introduced that would allow for the continued use and growth of the town, all while reducing the travel-time within its boundaries.

In order to understand and emphasize what the town was like, a collage was created, highlighting the planetarium and nearby town, but also exaggerating the presence of found fossils in the region in the form of a giant dinosaur, as well as the actual town of Rocca di Cave in its shadow.

A set of stone stairs leads users up/down the mountainside, where large metal sheets serve to guide the stairs and users along the natural topography, while also retaining the mountainside from directly interacting with the steps. A community garden, built atop an existing parking lot, frames the beautiful Monti Prenestini, while also serving as an intermediary landing point between the town’s central piazza, and the connectivity interventions.

A 300 foot ramp meets with an existing street at the base of the stairs, creating a straight-shot access route to the planetarium. The ramp consistently stays at a 3° angle for its entirety, allowing for moments in which the topography naturally decides the wall heights and shapes. In addition, the ramp cuts through a small mountain, creating an atrium which allows light to shine in during the day and stars to shine through at night, preparing users for the interaction with the Rocca Planetarium.