An augury of continuity - limits as a mediator between architecture, landscape and archaeology

Abstract

The relation between the different temporalities of the contemporary city clearly expresses itself by well-defined boundaries. The issue of limits occurs in various conditions, either between archaeological areas and the urban fabric or between a monument and its imminent surroundings. Regardless of structure or context, limits represent traces of conflicts that demand addressal. However, assuming the presence of limits not only indicates the acknowledgement of a conflict but also finds the space as an ambivalent continuity, a whole. The understanding of their meaning dispels the idea that considers the dissolution of boundaries as a sine qua non to the integration of space. The design methodologies used to enhance heritage should aspire, rather than abolishing limits, to stress them to redefine relations that can take place in contemporary city. This study discusses the inevitable presence of boundaries in the history of spatial production, their understanding as an essential element of architecture, and describes a case study in the city of Rome that aims to illustrate the theme from a perspective that reimagines the relations between the temporalities of the contemporary city, its objects, and events.