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POST-HUMAN VENICE

ADAPTIVE FUTURES IN A SUNKEN CITY

Post-Human Venice envisions a submerged Venice not as a lost relic, but as a living archive of human adaptation. It transforms climate vulnerability into spatial resilience, proposing a new cultural and ecological narrative for how we inhabit, remember, and evolve with changing environments.

TYPOLOGY
STATUS

LOCATION
YEAR 
DESIGN TEAM

Adaptive Cultural Landscape
Idea
Venice  (IT)
2025
Giuseppe Marrone, Alessandro Moriconi

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POST-HUMAN VENICE

ADAPTIVE FUTURES IN A SUNKEN CITY

[...] the result of a dynamic process demonstrating the interaction over time between humans and the ecosystem of their natural environment [...]

-UNESCO

Numerous studies have shown the periodic phenomenon of high tides affecting some of the most sensitive areas of the historical territory. When this phenomenon occurs, Venice is partially submerged by the sea, with water levels rising above the average level by over 80 cm. In recent years, these events have occurred with increasing frequency and significance, reaching a peak of 187 cm in 2019. Global warming and the phenomenon of subsidence predict the rapid and inevitable topographical change of the lagoon. The average pedestrian accessibility of the city and some monumental areas is below the sea level during flooding, leading to the submersion of 59% of the inhabited area with high tide water levels of about +140 cm.

Post-Human Venice analyzes a necessarily provocative scenario, responding to the inevitable critical situation expected by 2150, when the average sea level could rise by about 150 cm, leading to a perpetually flooded Venice.
This speculative project proposes an alternative visitor center, a resilient structure, spread on a large scale. The project is based on three main actions that involve the entire historical center.

Action 1: The most sensitive monuments and locations are identified, and a focal role is assigned to each point of interest to allow the development of a controlled tourist network. These spots will be identified as “Master-Spots”. Each Master-Spot will house visitable spaces and site-specific conservation and restoration interventions.

Action 2: Along the former main pedestrian routes, modular floating docks are installed, composed of an internal blocks system containing air chambers, made of high molecular weight and high-density material. Thanks to the repetitive design, the installation will be rapid and flexible. The hollow section will host a closed path, allowing the observation and study of submerged Venice. Above, the section is wide enough to ensure both pedestrian and cycling paths. This network will be identified as “Spot-to-Spot”. This network will serve as a connection between the Master-spots, also providing a safe path for citizens and visitors.

Action 3: Floating, multifunctional modules will be placed along the route. These modules, called “Hub-Spots”, will act as incubators for studies and research on the constantly evolving phenomenon of Venice, studying safety measures, recovery, and awareness-raising activities. Additionally, the structures will house relaxation areas, food zones, and “Echo-Spots”, which will be points for guided immersion experiences.

To ensure the continuity of daily and periodic activities in the city, selected modules will be arranged parallel to form floating squares, providing a master plan for urban regeneration and territorial revival.

Though visionary and deliberately provocative, this project serves as a critical reflection on our current inertia—reminding us that imagining alternative futures is not an escape from reality, but a necessary act of responsibility in the face of irreversible change

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