Cimitero della Montagna Verde: Chinese Cemetery in Prato | Florence, Italy | Unit 21 | 2023<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prato, renowned for its textile industry, is home to a significant Chinese population of 45,000. The relationship between the Chinese and Italian communities in Prato has experienced welcoming phases, cooperation, misunderstandings, and tension over the past three decades. The project proposes expanding the cemetery at the serpentine quarry Cava di Figline in Prato as a space for cultural acceptance and appreciation between the Chinese and Italian communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This project aims to recreate the funeral procession journey along Via Pistoiese, a street also known as Chinatown in Prato. Anamorphic distortions of architectural imagery in three-dimensional forms are employed to transform the Pistoiese gate and building facades at different scales. By utilizing anamorphosis, a dynamic interplay between physical and cultural perspectives is created, enabling the coexistence of diverse cultural images in a three-dimensional context. The project advocates for the coexistence of various cultures by providing shared spaces for different ethnic groups and shared areas for cultural, agricultural, national, and religious events, all within an architectural framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n