Yicheng / Alan Wang
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Yicheng / Alan Wang
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017: HOST / PARASITE
Isola d’Elba
Title: Host / Parasite
Project Type: Residential
Site: Rio Marina, Italy
Year: 2023
Project Type: Residential
Site: Rio Marina, Italy
Year: 2023
The island of Elba in the Tuscany region of Italy with its abundant
reserve of iron core, was for thousands of years the center of iron export
to the Tuscany region and the larger European continent. Moving into
the 20th century, Elba’s mining activities gradually declined to the point
where the last mining factory was shut down in the early 80s. As mining
diminished, tourism blew up. The island’s economy is dependent on
tourism, alternating the lives of the locals.
Rio Marina, one of the population centers of Elba, saw a tremendous increase in number of Airbnb and Real Estate for sale in the small town within the past few decades, implying the gradual takeover of tourism in the town though the footprint of the town barely expands. Locals who used to be mining industry workers are either moving away or becoming dependent on tourism to make a living. Taking a binary approach on the relationship between tourists and locals, this project took a crtical or even extreme approach to project on the future of Rio Marina and explore how this entangled relationship between locals and tourists might develop.
Rio Marina, one of the population centers of Elba, saw a tremendous increase in number of Airbnb and Real Estate for sale in the small town within the past few decades, implying the gradual takeover of tourism in the town though the footprint of the town barely expands. Locals who used to be mining industry workers are either moving away or becoming dependent on tourism to make a living. Taking a binary approach on the relationship between tourists and locals, this project took a crtical or even extreme approach to project on the future of Rio Marina and explore how this entangled relationship between locals and tourists might develop.
017: HOST / PARASITE