Flyovers, or grade separated bridges or roads, are a type of urban infrastructure that has been used to facilitate high-speed vehicular movement. This once-popular strategy of the west, despite being considered as a failure for sustainable urban growth, has been adopted in Bangladesh to combat traffic congestion in Dhaka that has a crippling effect on daily life of the citizens. As was anticipated by many urban planners and architects, these expensive structures did little to reduce traffic congestion, but created additional problems of noise and air pollution as well as reduced pedestrian mobility. More importantly, these flyovers created wasted void spaces underneath that are uncomfortable, devoid of human scale and act as physical and visual barriers that cause tears on the urban fabric. The objective of this thesis is to explore how architecture can unlock the potential of the unused spaces under the flyovers in Dhaka, by turning these linear leftover spaces into dignified public places that improves the daily lived experiences of the urban dwellers, by minimizing the disruptions caused by the flyover and by realizing the potential inherent in the robust structure of the flyover. This thesis examines a democratized way of building, where the role of architecture is to facilitate organic and heterogeneous growth, addition and modification to the flyover in order to bring the human scale back to the massive flyover structure through a reconciliation of top-down and bottom-up approaches. The architectural interventions respond to the site conditions, potentials and demands. The architectural outcome is based on the concepts of creating a threshold, architecture as armature and parasitic structures. / Master of Architecture / Flyovers, or grade separated bridges or roads, are a type of urban infrastructure that has been used to facilitate high-speed vehicular movement. This once-popular strategy of the west, despite being considered as a failure for sustainable urban growth, has been adopted in Bangladesh to combat traffic congestion in Dhaka that has a crippling effect on daily life of the citizens. As was anticipated by many urban planners and architects, these expensive structures did little to reduce traffic congestion, but created additional problems of noise and air pollution as well as reduced pedestrian mobility. More importantly, these flyovers created wasted empty spaces underneath that are uncomfortable and act as physical and visual barriers that cause tears on the urban fabric. The objective of this thesis is to explore how architecture can unlock the potential of the unused spaces under the flyovers in Dhaka, by turning these linear leftover spaces into dignified public places that improves the daily lived experiences of the urban dwellers, by minimizing the disruptions caused by the flyover and by realizing the potential inherent in the robust structure of the flyover. This thesis examines a democratized way of building, where the role of architecture is to facilitate organic and de-centralized growth, addition and modification to the flyover in order to bring the human scale back to the massive flyover structure through a reconciliation of top-down and bottom-up approaches. The architectural interventions respond to the site conditions, potentials and demands. The architectural outcome is based on the concepts of creating a threshold, architecture as armature and parasitic structures.

[ES] Los temas de recuperación, reciclaje y reutilización están en el centro de los desafíos que la sociedad global del siglo XXI está llamada a enfrentar. Los nuevos marcos económicos y sociales junto con las necesidades de contención energética y sostenibilidad ambiental marcan, de hecho, desde hace varios años, un punto de no retorno en todas las estrategias de intervención en la zona. Al mismo tiempo, más de dos tercios de la población mundial vive en ciudades, proponiendo que estas últimas jueguen un papel central en el futuro cercano. Por esta razón, la búsqueda de una metodología capaz de orientar las intervenciones de reurbanización dentro de la ciudad histórica parece, hoy, de sumo interés. La presente investigación parte del estado del arte actual de los centros históricos, sólo en tiempos muy recientes, objeto de atención por parte de toda la comunidad arquitectónica; se prestará especial atención al caso del centro histórico de la ciudad de Valencia, el estudio abarca diversos campos de investigación que irán desde la observación de la evolución del mercado inmobiliario, hasta el análisis jurídico-legislativo del marco normativo que regula intervenciones dentro de la ciudad histórica, con el objetivo de generar una propuesta de proyecto completa, capaz de brindar una herramienta importante, un formato estratégico, válido y aplicable a todas las intervenciones dentro del tejido histórico. El estudio tiene como objetivo llevar el debate a un terreno común, no hacia declaraciones duras y rápidas o reglas específicas, sino que busca desarrollar un modelo de evaluación que pueda usarse para determinar la coherencia de la expresión arquitectónica de la nueva adición en relación con el histórico. carácter de lo existente. El objetivo no es dirigir al arquitecto proporcionando un conjunto de reglas, sino ayudar a recordar los criterios que pueden formar una base para las decisiones de diseño a través del análisis y la evaluación de ejemplos reales. Por lo tanto, el objetivo de este estudio es desarrollar un método de evaluación para construir la relación entre una intervención contemporánea, especialmente una nueva adición externa, y el tejido histórico. El estudio se enfoca en discutir los problemas de diseño de nuevas adiciones exteriores en contextos históricos. / [CA] Els temes de recuperació, reciclatge i reutilització estan en el centre dels desafiaments que la societat global del segle XXI està cridada a enfrontar. Els nous marcs econòmics i socials juntament amb les necessitats de contenció energètica i sostenibilitat ambiental marquen, de fet, des de fa diversos anys, un punt de no retorn en totes les estratègies d'intervenció en la zona. Al mateix temps, més de dos terços de la població mundial viu en ciutats, proposant que aquestes últimes juguen un paper central en el futur pròxim. Per aquesta raó, la cerca d'una metodologia capaç d'orientar les intervencions de reurbanització dins de la ciutat històrica sembla, hui, de summe interés. La present investigació part de l'estat de l'art actual dels centres històrics, només en temps molt recents, objecte d'atenció per part de tota la comunitat arquitectònica; es prestarà especial atenció al cas del centre històric de la ciutat de València, l'estudi abasta diversos camps d'investigació que aniran des de l'observació de l'evolució del mercat immobiliari, fins a l'anàlisi jurídica-legislativa del marc normatiu que regula intervencions dins de la ciutat històrica, amb l'objectiu de generar una proposta de projecte completa, capaç de brindar una eina important, un format estratègic, vàlid i aplicable a totes les intervencions dins del teixit històric. L'estudi té com a objectiu portar el debat a un terreny comú, no cap a declaracions dures i ràpides o regles específiques, sinó que busca desenvolupar un model d'avaluació que puga usar-se per a determinar la coherència de l'expressió arquitectònica de la nova addició en relació amb l'històric. caràcter de l'existent. L'objectiu no és dirigir a l'arquitecte proporcionant un conjunt de regles, sinó ajudar a recordar els criteris que poden formar una base per a les decisions de disseny a través de l'anàlisi i l'avaluació d'exemples reals. Per tant, l'objectiu d'aquest estudi és desenvolupar un mètode d'avaluació per a construir la relació entre una intervenció contemporània, especialment una nova addició externa, i el teixit històric. L'estudi s'enfoca a discutir els problemes de disseny de noves addicions exteriors en contextos històrics. / [EN] The themes of recovery, recycling and reuse are at the heart of the challenges that the global society of the 21st century is called to face. The changed economic and social frameworks, together with the needs of energy containment and environmental sustainability have, in fact, for several years, marked a point of no return in all intervention strategies in the area. At the same time, more than two-thirds of the world's population lives in cities, proposing the latter to play a central role in the near future. For this reason, the search for a methodology capable of guiding redevelopment interventions within the historic city appears, today, of extreme interest. The present research starts from the current state of the art of historical centres, only in very recent times, the object of attention by the entire architectural community; particular attention will be paid to the case of the historic centre of the city of Valencia, the study covers various fields of investigation that will range from observations of the trend of the real estate market, to legal-legislative analysis of the regulatory framework that regulates interventions within the city historical, with the aim of generating a complete project proposal, able to provide an important tool, a strategic format, valid and applicable to all interventions within the historical fabric. The study aims to bring the debate onto common ground, not towards hard-and-fast statements or specific rules, but rather seeks to develop an evaluation model that can be used to determine the coherence of the new addition's architectural expression in relation to the historic character of the existing. The goal is not to direct the architect by providing a set of rules, but to help recall criteria that can form a basis for design decisions through analysis and evaluation of real examples. Therefore, the aim of this study is to develop an evaluation method to build the relationship between a contemporary intervention, especially a new external addition, and the historic fabric. The study focuses on discussing the design issues of new exterior additions in historical contexts. / [IT] I temi del recupero, del riciclo e del riuso sono al centro delle sfide che la società globale del XXI secolo è chiamata ad affrontare. I mutati quadri economico - sociali unitamente alle esigenze del contenimento energetico e della sostenibilità ambientale hanno, infatti, da diversi anni, segnato un punto di non ritorno in tutte le strategie d’intervento sul territorio. Contemporaneamente, più dei due terzi della popolazione mondiale abita nelle città candidando queste ultime a giocare un ruolo centrale nel prossimo futuro. Per questa ragione la ricerca di una metodologia capace di guidare gli interventi di riqualificazione all’interno della città storica appare, oggi, di estremo interesse. La presente ricerca parte dall’attuale stato dell’arte dei centri storici, solamente in tempi molto recenti, oggetto di attenzione da parte di tutta la comunità architettonica; particolare attenzione sarà posta sul caso del centro storico della città di Valencia, lo studio copre diversi campi d’indagine che spazieranno dalle osservazioni dell’andamento del mercato immobiliare, ad analisi giuridico – legislativo del quadro normativo che regola gli interventi all’interno della città storica, col fine di generare una proposta progettuale completa, in grado di fornire un importante strumento, un format strategico, valido e applicabile a tutti gli interventi all’interno del tessuto storico. Lo studio mira a portare il dibattito su un terreno comune, non verso dichiarazioni rigide o regole specifiche, ma piuttosto cerca di sviluppare un modello di valutazione che può essere utilizzato per determinare la coerenza dell’espressione architettonica della nuova aggiunta in relazione a il carattere storico dell’esistente. L’obiettivo non è quello di dirigere l’architetto fornendo un insieme di regole, ma di aiutare a richiamare i criteri che possono costituire una base per le decisioni di progettazione attraverso l’analisi e la valutazione di esempi reali. Pertanto, lo scopo di questo studio è quello di sviluppare un metodo di valutazione per costruire la relazione tra un intervento contemporaneo, in particolare una nuova aggiunta esterna, e il tessuto storico. Lo studio si concentra sulla discussione dei problemi di progettazione di nuove aggiunte esterne in contesti storici. / Emmi, G. (2023). Definizione di un format strategico per gli interventi di riqualificazione urbana all'interno dei centri storici. Il caso del centro storicodella cittá di Valencia [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/192110