Nicole Zhao Y4
School for Living Ruins Sited on the ancient remains of the Baths of Titus in Rome, Italy, the project reflects on the dilemma of the historic city around it. Rome has long struggled to balance the need for modernisation with the impetus to preserve its archaeological heritage. Decisions on what to preserve and how to preserve them are largely made by formalised institutions, creating barriers to public participation in heritage discourse.
To challenge conventional systems of heritage care, the project takes the approach of ‘care without conservation’, proposing a combined visitor centre and school for conservation research that negotiates between the visitor and the historic site. A considered methodology is laid out to maintain the ruin, turning it into a rest stop for tourists that gives them insight into conservation practices, as well as a hands-on hub for experimental research. The ruin is thus harnessed as a cultural tool that speculates on the creation of living – rather than stagnant – built heritage.
