Terra Mortem

The project explores the possibility of reviving the abandoned town, Rione Terra, located on the western coast of Naples. As opposed to reoccupying the abandoned town, the programme proposes a research study zone. Rione Terra is surrounded by Campanian Volcanoes, where natural phenomena like volcanic activity or bradyseisms occur. By proposing the geological institute as part of the Earth Observatory, the program predicts occurrences of natural hazards. Our proposal for a Geological Institute within the Earth Observatory is expected to monitor the behaviour of these natural phenomena.

Our thesis establishes an Earth Observatory located in Rione Terra, an abandoned neighbourhood on the western coast of Naples, which was formed on a raised tectonic plate with significant differences from the nearby town. It is believed that these plates built up after the volcanic eruption of which forces shaped the town’s landscape over time. Our proposal for a Geological Institute within the Earth Observatory monitors the surrounding natural phenomena. This data can be provided to the local communities and warn other towns with similar site conditions. The town serves as a research site for investigating the countless mysteries in the ground which led to a new way of inhabitation. Within the research site, individual research labs are designed to spread and occupy the whole region of Rione Terra, which offers a new way to utilise the afterlife of an abandoned town. The Earth Observatory preserves, archives and educates the community on bradyseism in the area and their history. This key aspect is required to form the community's understanding of the social and physical features of evacuation due to bradyseism. At the same time, it accurately predicts natural hazards and provides warnings to the surrounding areas, enabling immediate response to prevent unnecessary risks. The research study could be indefinite, capturing and recording the process. Part of the proposal suggests a Belvedere to observe and record Rione Terra’s movement over time located on the island of Nisida, west of the city, off the coast of Posillipo. This mimics the island’s previous function as a watchtower. Previously standing tall and watching over the site of Rione Terra in ancient times, the island of Nisida now houses a watch tower to protect the citizens from the quaking earth beneath.