DRAWING, DESIGN, SURVEYING: COGNITIVE PATHS FOR THE ANALYSIS OF AN ELEVATED RAILWAY STATION IN ITALY

This contribution proposes the graphic analysis of the innovative design for the elevated railway station built in Pescara between 1970-80. The investigation concerns the long and complex design elaboration connected with the profound urban and social changes that affected the city, previously divided by the railway line. The main objective is to understand the design essence by tracing, through an overlook of the original drawings, the thoughts of the designers who proved themselves with a daring construction in relation to the final result. The research involves a comparison-based study methodology consisting of three main stages: 1. Reading of the original drawings, much of it unpublished, with the related design solutions including those not completed; 2. Survey of the built structure with integrated methodologies: 3d laser scanner and photo-modelling; 3. Comparisons of the first and second designs with the built work in relation to the construction techniques related to the beginnings of prestressed concrete. The originality and value of this study lies in its comprehensive approach to documenting the entire building design process, from concept to completion, and the use of advanced technologies to analyse and communicate the structural and functional aspects of the work. The results provide insight into the entire design process and show how the design underwent several modifications over time, resulting in a final building form that deviates significantly from the original design. In addition, the new digital reconfigurations make it possible to explore the complex structure three-dimensionally by analysing it as a whole and in the decompositions of its significant parts. In conclusion, the examination provides a methodological approach that highlights the value of drawing in its various declinations as a tool for ideation, analysis and communication of thought expressed graphically. It contributes in the field of archival research, architectural heritage survey, drawing/construction history and graphic analysis, defining a method of study that shows the value of graphic heritage, applied to an emblematic case study such as the elevated railway station in Pescara, Italy.