Case Study Trabeated Systems: Renzo Piano's Workshop in Otranto, Italy

The goal of this workshop was to rehabilitate the historic center of Otranto, Italy. The Workshop was sponsored by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) in 1979 and was executed from a single prefabricated unit which was transported into the "heart of the city's historic center."

"The program was divided into four parts, analysis and diagnosis, information and education, open project, and work and construction"

"Local residents were crucial to the project in providing artisan skills and extensive knowledge about the history of the community."

RPBW official website of Renzo Piano
http://rpbw.r.ui-pro.com/
All Projects/Italy/Otranto Urban Regeneration
For more information (and for better images) on Renzo Piano's Otranto Urban Regeneration Workshop please see his official website.


This project's architectural/structural language is very similar to Piano's project in the port of Genoa, Italy as both projects share the same stretched fabric and canopy-like effect. However the most interesting and most relevant aspect of this Workshop is its spirit of the project and the involvement of the community in the regeneration and renovation process of their city.

The Renzo Workshop in Otranto achieved the same residential involvement that we are hoping to encourage during our studio project in Pendleton, SC.








The children of the city were also involved in the success of the Workshop. Like the Otranto Workshop, we hope to reach out to the community--especially the children--throughout the semester. Our ideas for youth involvement have ranged from educational sessions hosted either during or after school, to History Harvest events that both educate and entertain. Regardless of the format, the goal is to raise awareness of one's built environment. We hope that this will garner a stronger appreciation for our ultimate intervention on the Pendleton site.

One of the goals of Piano's Workshop was community involvement: the Workshop became a significant point of interest for the residents.

For more information regarding Renzo Piano's involvement in UNESCO Activities please click here.