Architecture & Urban Planning in Siena, Italy
Spring 2001

Dr. Allan Ceen, the Director of the Studium Urbis and Adjunct Professor of the History of Architecture and Urban Planning at Pennsylvania State University, organized and led a trip to Siena for 12 Pennsylvania State Architecture students. They participated in a Monday through Friday workshop on an urban design question which the commune of Siena is and was studying: the linkage of the ex-urban Fonti di Pescaia to the Porta di Fonte Guista, the Fortezza, the planned park of the Tirasegno, and the Piazza d'Armi, whence to the train station. The focus of the workshop was the relationship between the history of a place, the process of creating architectural and urban elements, and the conveying of ideas with meaning involved in the making of architecture and urban places in the city of Siena. The students came up with interesting design solutions to the problem and the results were reviewed by four other architects: two from Siena, one from Rome, and one from Florence. The students worked in the Marcolina, which is the beautiful space at the top of the Palazzo Pubblico, and the entire group had lunch with the assessore all'urbanistica del comune di Siena (Director of Urban Planning, City of Siena), Mario Cataldo, who discussed the parameters of the urban design problems in Siena. The 12 students were also the first to use the new laboratorio d'urbanistica (Urban Design Laboratory) housed in the Marcolina and sponsored by the comune (city). The workshop's first year was successful and beneficial for both the students and the comune of Siena. Roman Architetto Lino Barone participated and facilitated the workshop event(s), and Architect Michelle LaFoe contributed with her historical and design research. As long as the relationship produces good results for both, the workshop will continue. For more information, contact us.

The Studium Urbis
Rome Research Center in Architecture and Urban Planning
Centro ricerca topografica di Roma
Via di Montoro 24 - 00186 Rome Italy
Tel. (06) 686-1191 (Rome)
studiumurbis@gmail.com
http://www.studiumurbis.org