City as an Expo, Split 2035

Illinois Institute of Technology, College of Architecture

Project idea

The largest city on the Adriatic Coast, Split is known for its vast natural resources, tourist opportunities, and a rich cultural history extending back to the Greek Empire. However, with its advantages of location and history, it now suffers from both environmental and economic issues that affect the future sustainability and urban coherence of the city. As the city has expanded beyond its City center, post-war expansion since 1945 has focused on heavy industrial growth. This now displaced and unplanned expansion to the west has created both a void and incoherence in the city
as it stands today.

Project description

Our proposal, "City as an Expo" is a vision for a resilient Split in the new era of the Anthropocene. By placing a large focus on strong development that captures a larger segment of tourism, Split can transcend into new forms of economic and cultural growth. The foundation of our vision is in the form of an International Expo that transforms into a future city. The project forms out of five thematic districts that are each dedicated to exploring topics such as adaptive reuse, natural resource conservation, integrated green infrastructure, etc. These districts are then tied together through a “green spine” that acts to highlight new sources of energy, innovation in landscape strategies, and connects programs throughout the city.

Technical information

The first stage of development focuses on three of the districts: Legacy, Mobility, and Cultivation. The timeline of the development has focused on addressing the outdoor programming of each district, the neighborhood quality, and a model of architecture in each district. Within
Legacy, adaptive reuse and a relationship to water are highlighted throughout key moments of the district. In Mobility, there is a large focus on the transferium that all visitors must travel through. It is the heart of the new city and speaks to the experiential quality of the Expo. Lastly, the Cultivation district addresses ideas of hybridity and future living within Split, Croatia. By creating regional destinations that support and enhance the environment, economy, and culture with principles and strategies that cultivate the existing context, we aim to reposition Split for a resilient future. "City as an Expo" proposes how to respond to a challenging future for Split and represents it as an expansive and informative future model.