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OrtueriLab
The project is the result of a self-build initiative funded by the local council and formed part of the “Abitare Framentu” Festival, a project funded by the PNRR. The workshop involved a group of students from the Master’s degree course in Architecture, together with the voluntary participation of local children, to create three elements within the square designed to disrupt the space and encourage different and alternative uses compared to the geometry dictated by street furniture. The first element acts as a connector that formally defines an entrance to the square from Corso Umberto, creating a complex system of seating that interacts with the large oak tree and the basalt flowerbed. The second installation consists of a pergola with linear seating that volumetrically marks the upper entrance to the square, coming from Via Cavour. The structure of the pergola is designed to contrast a straight side—which marks the boundary with a private residence—with a façade that breaks up into a succession of slats, creating an interface and a side entrance leading to the tree-lined and landscaped area. The third and final feature alters the centrality and monotony of the square’s horizontal space by introducing a vertical element—the tower—which asserts its presence; its interactive nature as a hollow, habitable structure allows for free interpretation through play and creativity by younger users. Connected to the tower, near its base, is a square, ring-shaped seat that adds a further play component to the system, suggesting alternative ways of using the urban space. Furthermore, the square’s existing paving, consisting of rectangular slabs of granite, has been coloured by the village children, creating a random pattern that guides visitors to discover the three objects.
Andrea Margagliotti
Sequence of drawings and photographs of OrtueriLab's wall, gateway-pergola and tower, built around the square and its large oak tree.
The threshold pavilion provides access to the square from Via Cavour, an historical agricultural penetration road leading into the village of Ortueri.
The project seeks to address the issue of access from the main road as well, featuring a tower incorporating a bench in the form of a micro-agora and a wall that defines a quick-stop area near the car park, thereby framing the entrance to the square.
The threshold pavilion stands alongside an existing house, creating a system that provides access to the square through a shaded, protected path. Furthermore, the vibrant rhythm of the load-bearing structure generates a backdrop for the garden, which will allow the pergola to integrate into the natural landscape.
Relationship between the base and the uprights. The base is a device that manages the significant drop in elevation; the uprights, pre-cut in the carpentry workshop to a length of 240 cm, are clamped onto it. The base provides a solid, continuous support for the uprights, functioning as a spacer to regulate the structural spacing.
The introduction of a polychrome texture, achieved by painting the existing stone paving, allows for a more cohesive reading of the project's distinct architectural episodes.
The "Jenga-tower" serves as an orientation mechanism within the square and a space for children's play. The simplicity of its construction generates an easily decipherable device capable of housing the small cubes that populate the square.
The threshold wall creates a buffer from the parking spaces out front through a device that filters light and accommodates seating facing both the square and the pathway.