Elevated Pathway Between the Roofs

Sapienza University of Rome

Project idea

Erbach - the nice medieval city. All the analysis mostly brings you to the ideas of what you would like to preserve there, rather than what you would like to change.But this kind of city protected by the government and its citizens from any changes are at risk of becoming a museum, a preserved, fake theatrical decoration of past times.
The proposed project aims to give fresh air to the city. The contemporary elevated pathway crossing Erbach brings us the feeling of a modern, alive, ever-changing city.

Project description

The elevated pathway snakes between the roofs, disappears and emerges again. It follows the shapes of the roofs, sometimes taking possession of existing balconies and invading abandoned buildings. It brings to the habitants new public spaces, provides new connections, and proposes a new perspective to discover and to know the city for locals as well as for tourists. What could be a better way to explore the city than to see it from the top?
The elevated pathway provides additional public functions in the city centre, like playgrounds, viewpoints, exhibition spaces,the small public squares, openair medieval wall museum, open cinema, and even an adrenaline zipline, so it becomes a place for new activities, with Erbach always in the background.

Technical information

Respect for the pre-existing historical town is an indispensable aspect of the design process in urban contexts. The elevated pathway consists of lightweight structures, which could be easily removed.
The construction strategy is inspired by scaffolds. Especially important references are scaffolds which are usually used for the repair of buildings with historical value, because they are just bracing against the buildings and not invading its structure.