The various celebrations surrounding San Gennaro bring an energy and vitality to Naples. In May, a bust of San Gennaro is carried through from the Cathedral to the Basilica of Santa Chiara. On 19th September, the anniversary of Gennaro’s martyrdom, the Cardinal takes an ampoule of San Gennaro’s blood from the Treasury Chapel within the Cathedral to check whether it has liquified, a good omen for the city announced by the ringing of the Cathedral bells. The blood is displayed for eight days, with stalls and events dedicated to San Gennaro. On 16th December, a celebration recognises San Gennaro’s intervention to protect Naples from eruption in 1631, when lava from Vesuvius stopped just outside the city gates. Recognising both the cultural significance and attendant practices and labour dedicated to these events, Processions and ‘Macchinations’ explores the spaces which support public festivities. It propose a new Art and Crafts College for the centre of Naples, which aims to develop correspondences between the city, church and citizens. The College is split into five core spaces: Jewellery, supporting the design of new items and the care, conservation and restoration of the delicate pieces found in churches and museums around the city; Fashion, for the furtherance of renowned, but fading, local skills in tailoring and working with linen; Making, to support the development of presepe, fine hand-crafted figurines depicting scenes from the Nativity; Exhibition, a space for the presentation of permanent and temporary collections of work; and Performance, a piazza for events and processions. Each of these specific functions aligns with a public space or amenity. The fashion spaces provide laundry facilities, and a walkway connecting the various buildings acts as a lighting rig, catwalk, and projection house, turning the city into a theatre and cinema. The re-shaped piazza, elevated slightly above street level, offers a rare open space in the dense Centro Storico where people can present work and host informal events, or which can be given over to the adjacent Music School to hold concerts. On feast days, this space is transformed into a dining room for the city. During the summer, when student numbers are lowest and tourist numbers increase, this space will primarily serve the public. The installation of temporary architectural structures and skins (canopies, louvres, parasols) allow for localised environmental adjustments, creating additional shade or passive ventilation and changing the buildings’ occupancy capacity without increasing the demand on servicing. These attenuation devices, akin to the temporary structures (macchine) constructed for historic festivals, emerge in response to seasonal changes, and are packed away again beneath the College as the weather cools. Workshops in the lower levels both support the work of students and maintain these attenuation devices out of season, repairing and replacing damaged parts. When the temporary structures are dismantled and stored underground, the city becomes momentarily quiet again, awaiting the next influx of guests.
Zhao Wang
Project description
Context, Rhythm
The Feast of Gennaro, three times a year, is a way of strongly linking and demonstrating the relationship between religious culture, art, the public and urban space in this city. Starting from the Cathedral of Naples, follow the procession. Through the ancient streets of Naples, we arrive at the venue: Spaces of Display, Conservation, and Attenuation.
The old town, The procession path, The Site.
Neapolitan art and culture
Religious art, religious processions, art education, public events, tourist machines, urban rhythms
Lively and Scroching Naples
Naples experiences hot and dry summers. As summer arrives, temperatures soar, humidity is relatively low, and rainfall is scarce until October, when temperatures begin to drop and rainfall increases. During the winter months from October to February, temperatures remain moderate, but rainfall significantly increases. During this period, days are shorter, with the shortest being about 6.2 hours, and humidity is higher, making the need for sunlight more pressing than at any other time of the year.
The hottest summers coincide with Naples' religious festivals. The long daylight hours allow for a wealth of festival activities, from joyous mornings to lively nights. Tourists from all over the world can enjoy more of Naples' food and scenery. The open and vibrant season sees countless enthusiastic people, necessitating spacious, open venues to accommodate everything while also providing cool environments for a more comfortable experience. Meanwhile, in winter, allowing sunlight into buildings helps dispel moisture and warm the wooden floors.
Attenuation
Installation
Zhao Wang
