the failed urban starship

theundercity — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 18:13:35 +0000

outside of rome, a 9 story tall one kilometre long megalith lies atop a green ridge. started in 1975, and opened in 1982, corviale is a public housing project built for 8000 people. like any good integrated housing concept, it included provisions for libraries, schools, restaurants, an shops. and, like any good integrated housing concept built with public funds for low-income families, it was never really finished and never maintained. the public areas and services were never completed, or services were scaled back. the residents are isolated from the rest of the city’s infrastructure, and the building has become neglected, run down, and a microcosm of crime and decay.

more about corviale:

housing prototypes: corviale

corviale 20-01-08 – a photoset on flickr

brutalist megastructures and urban decay

theundercity — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 01:07:27 +0000

britain’s former tricorn centre was a massive integrated shopping centre and residences complex built in portsmouth in 1966. never a commercial success, the centre suffered from high vacancy rates and years of neglect. the concepts and themes that went into planning and designing the centre are very interesting and offer some insight into the ideas of creating an ultra-urban environment where one lived, worked, shopped, and played all in the same building. photos of the decaying brutalist-styled megastructure just before its demolition offer an interesting look at a very striking, and poorly-executed, attempt at making a city-in-a-building.

more pictures of the tricorn centre:

garfnet pictures and media

retrowow – reflections on the tricorn

vodex.org -the tricorn

the under city

the failed urban starship

brutalist megastructures and urban decay