Transit Hub
SPRING 2024
CORNELL UNIVERSITY ARCH 4102 DESIGN VIII
PROFESSOR(S): MARTIN MILLER
This project creates a bustling hub for tourism and transportation within Piazza Dell’ Oro, one of the many busy traffic intersections within the fabric of Rome. By including new bus terminals, a subway stop, and an e-bike/e-scooter station, this transit hub opens tourists and locals up to several modes of transportation to navigate the city. The design also maintains car paths so as not to cut off daily commuter traffic. While bringing together these modes of transportation, this hub also introduces two dining experiences for commuters and tourists on the go. On the first level, there is a grab-and-go style of dining for those in a rush, and on the second level, there is a sit-down restaurant for those who have more time between their daily activities. The hub also includes its own greenhouse to grow some of its ingredients on-site.
The Final Design
The design of this project was heavily inspired by Roman church architecture. The use of barrel and groin vaults in Roman church architecture was prevalent and quickly became one of the first guiding design choices for the transit hub. The existing site mainly determined the series of vaults within our project and their orientation. The facade material for this project is copper. Just as you can see the evolution and passing of time through the city of Rome, one can also see the passing of time through this building’s material, as the copper will gain a layer of patina over its life span.
