Theme of the competition: “Mediterranean Modernism: the restoration and re-use of the Tower of Nations at the Naples Mostra d’Oltremare (Venturino Venturi 1940)”. 60 years after the death of Le Corbusier, the PRAM 2025 explores the legacy of modernism in Mediterranean cities through the restoration of the Tower of Nations, one of the symbolic elements of the Naples Mostra d’Oltremare, designed by architect Venturino Venturi.
This tall and slender tower, designed in 1940 as an exhibition landmark, embodies the principles of modernist architecture: monumentality, vertical tension and integration with the urban context. However, like many 20th century architectures, it needs a critical reflection on its restoration and possible re-functionalization.
The competition proposes a parallelism with Chandigarh, the city designed by the architect Le Corbusier in India, in particular with the Tower of Shadow, an experimental structure that explores the relationship between light, shade and climate. Both towers represent the search for a formal and symbolic expression in modernism, with a strong link to the environmental and cultural context.
The elaboration of the proposal will be preceded by an informative and descriptive phase of the historical artifact for the definition of the contemporary restoration project, which will precede the compositional and technical phase. The ideas competition invites architects, engineers and students to propose strategies for restoration and exploitation of the Tower of Nations, addressing the following themes:
- Conservation and structural restoration: strategies to preserve the original materials and guarantee the stability of the work;
- Architectural and symbolic exploitation: rethinking the tower as a contemporary landmark;
- Communication between modernism and the Mediterranean: reinterpreting the role of the tower in the urban and coastal landscape;
- Parallelism with Chandigarh: reflections on light, shadow, empty and full, in relation to the Tower of Shadow by Le Corbusier.
Useful working material is provided for the participants:
- Tower of Nations survey drawings, plans, sections and elevation (.dwg);
- 3D model of the Tower of Nations (.skp);
- Planimetry of the Mostra d’Oltremare (.dwg);
The participants have to propose an intervention that respects the historical identity of the Tower of Nations, but reconsiders its current and future role. Possible approaches include:
- Conservation restoration with minimal and targeted interventions, to ensure the protection and readability of the work;
- Redevelopment and re-functionalization to integrate the Tower into new urban and use routes;
- Proposal of a temporary installation inspired by the Tower of Shadows by Le Corbusier, to experience the relationship between shadow, light and Mediterranean architecture.
Prizes
The prizes, made available by Associazione Culturale l’Isola delle Torri, will consist in:
- Award for the best exploitation and reuse project: prize pool defined in € 3,000.00;
- Award for the best conservative restoration strategy: prize pool defined in € 1,500.00;
- Award for innovation, sustainability and social impact: prize pool defined in € 500.00
To find more details & Register visit HERE
LAST DATE OF REGISTRATION: 30 April 2025
LAST DATE OF SUBMISSION: 22 May 2025
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