Merciful Shadows

This project explores the interplay of mercy, architecture, and shadow in Naples, inspired by Caravaggio’s The Seven Acts of Mercy. Each act is reinterpreted as an architectural gesture addressing contemporary social issues. The [Ex]change House fosters integration between Neapolitans and refugees, the Vinorium reconnects the Spanish Quarter through a community- run vineyard, and the Lost Lives Archive honors those lost in tragedy. Guided by light and shadow, these interventions create spaces of shelter, remembrance, and generosity, revealing architecture’s role in civic mercy.

Architecture is not merely a physical response to place but a transformative act that shapes communities. Merciful Shadows draws inspiration from Caravaggio’s Seven Acts of Mercy, translating these gestures into three civic interventions. Each program addresses contemporary social issues in Naples, using shadow and light to create spaces of shelter, nourishment, and remembrance. At the Port of Naples, The [Ex]change House reclaims the historic San Vincenzo Pier as a place of sanctuary. Designed for immigrants and travellers, it responds to the urgent need for shelter in this transient environment. Deep overhangs and shaded spaces temper the harsh port conditions, fostering moments of rest, integration, and solidarity. The architecture transforms seeking refuge into an act of belonging. The Vinorium, situated in the Parco dei Quartieri Spagnoli, revitalizes an abandoned military hospital and its gardens, reconnecting the city. A vertical wine tower and micro-vineyard embody the acts of feeding the hungry and giving drink to the thirsty, offering a communal space for cultivation and gathering. By embedding food production into the urban fabric, the Vinorium strengthens social ties through the tradition of winemaking. At the edge of San Vincenzo Pier, the Lost Lives Archive stands as a solemn marker of remembrance, dedicated to those who have perished without commemoration. Visitors pass through shadowed spaces of reflection, culminating in a luminous void facing the horizon. Here, the final act of mercy—burying the dead—takes architectural form, transforming loss into collective memory. Using light and shadow as guiding elements, Merciful Shadows reimagines architecture as an actof mercy, embedding compassion into the very fabric of Naples.