The SHIFT explores the past and the present through grafting upon a preexisting building on the site. When entering the site, the viewer is taken through a journey that celebrates the past and the present. There are winding pathways that intersect each other, creating moments that overlap and blend together. The main road cutting through the space separated the public and private buildings in a gentle way. It winds through creating a new edge condition within the park. This edge defines the market stalls and other public spaces that change based on the visitor. Zig zagging further down the slope, the riverfront winds down the edge, interconnecting the landscape with the ramp system. Cutting down the slope, the ramp intertwines with different levels and an amphitheater. This idea of interconnections follows upwards to the structure grafted on top of the older clocktower building. The wrapping skin poses as a medium that meshes the connection between old and new. By grafting a modern building on top of an older one reminds the viewer of how much our environment has changed around us. The pathways tell a story to the viewer, causing them to pause and appreciate the hidden axial paths that cannot be accessed through a straight shot. The SHIFT is an oasis outside of the evolving city of Rome, that zig-zags through the past and the present creating an overlay of history.
