Institute for Smart & Healthy Cities Venice Exhibit 2023

• Michael Catalfano

The Venice Arsenale is no stranger to change, constantly adapting to meet the new times and maintaining its symbol as a nautical powerhouse in the Adriatic Sea. Now Arsenale is in need of adapting to the current times and adapting for the future as Venice faces climate issues. The Arsenale still has the military presence of the past but is drastically cut down. It is now time for the Arsenale to adapt to the modern era and become a new beacon for nautical technology. For the Arsenale to become a new beacon I am proposing a new master plan consisting of three main targets. The first target is to repair and add to the degrading pathways that are along the northern tip of the Arsenale. This will be achieved through a new network of paths. These paths aim to create small islands of green space to help with emission regulation while also providing a new park space for Biennale which is across from the Arsenale. The second target of interest is addressing the abandoned dry docks. There are three docks currently in the Arsenale; one is being used by the Venice Mose System, the second just abandoned and the third is an art installation that is run down. I propose that at the second abandoned dry dock there should be a new building called the Venice Maritime Technology Showcase Center where expos and showcases of new nautical technology can be shown off. This sits as part of the adaptation that needs to happen within the Arsenale. The third target is to reuse an abandoned building in the Northeast corner of the Arsenale and create a new entrance into the Arsenale. The Arsenale suffers from being accessible only via one vaporetto stop near where the new Showcase Center will be. I am proposing this new Transportation Hub as a means to gather people into the Arsenale and provide more vaporetto access as well as more water taxi access.