The Public Space as Place of the Ephemeral. The Case-Study of the Dubai World Trade Center

In the context of Expo Dubai 2020, the working team I coordinated made up of Lorenzo Pellegrini, Andrea Di Cinzio and Amedeo Minischetti on the case study about the general theme of regeneration and urban design focused the attention on the relationship that can be established between the urban space and the ephemeral architecture as a key to interpretate the site. The idea of working on proposals related to the concept of ephemeral architecture stems from the very essence of Dubai which can somehow be defined as the city of the temporary, devoid of a historical stratification, the result of cultural hybridizations that characterize it for its excesses and eclectic urban scenes. In this sense, taking into consideration the contradictions and possible historical-cultural connections that relate Italy, Rome in particular, with Dubai, were examined some ephemeral archetypes which, through iconographic readings, lay the theoretical foundations for reinterpreting the urban scene by immersing themselves in the context of study. In a journey back in time, the antithetical realities of the historical stratification of the Italian capital are correlated with the multifaceted urban growth of Dubai. The research, specifically, focuses on the city as a scene and laboratory of urban experimentation, the aims refer in particular, today as in the past, to the involvement of the community in the metamorphoses linked to multiple events and needs of the public space. Considering the flexibility of ephemeral installations, it is possible to generate reusable installations capable of generating suggestions and atmospheres suitable for the transformation of space in a flexible, agile and sustainable way.Reflecting on how the concept of urban regeneration was interpreted in ancient times, we have taken as an example episodes linked to situations involving city spaces in the Baroque period which, more than any other, managed to interpret the scenic importance and flexibility of ephemeral apparatuses.From these considerations comes the choice of the design proposal for the open spaces, the large urban voids that are generated between the mega structures of the Dubai World Trade Center. Transit areas that generate flows of connection between the different buildings, crossings with intersections of paths that from mere places of functional transfer can take on the role of rest, recreation, meeting, entertainment with modular structures expressly designed with materials that have a character of flexibility and sustainability.