Giovanna Forlan

Thesis in Architectural Design

"the train as a means of rediscovering travel in the Italian landscape: historical investigation between past and present, history and design" 

Thesis by Giovanna Forlano
Email: gioforlano@gmail.com
University of Rome SAPIENZA - Faculty of Architecture “ L. Quaroni ”
Master's Degree in EU Architecture
Speaker: Prof. Leone Spita
Academic Year 2013 - 2014

The train, a mobile entity that crosses and interprets spaces and times, an ancient means of transport that investigates new ways of travelling, combining the old and the new in the eternal theme of travel.
My thesis research starts from the historical reconstruction of the evolution of the Italian Railways to highlight how rail transport has changed over time and, in this regard, trace and investigate the current lines that have been abandoned (due to route variations) or eliminated from railway operations.
The aim is therefore to re-enhance these routes and, through the redesign of a train (with carriages), hypothesizing a route along the "dead-end tracks" to rediscover the beauty of the Italian landscape.
The train, based on existing models, wants to be a proposal or at least an attempt to define new ways of traveling and travelers but above all of living during the journey. The hypothesis is that of a slow journey; a sort of cruise on rails that is able to combine not only technological progress with the historical memory of the train, but also the strengthening of the railway network with the recovery of disused or dilapidated routes. Added to this is a design work inside the rolling stock to provide housing and transportation flexibility, without neglecting the services that passengers could and/or would like to use for a comfortable journey.
The design idea is therefore an alternative connection to the High Speed, where the user's choice is not to travel by virtue of time but to prefer the itinerary to it.'