Riva San Vitale Piazza Installations

Recently, 23 students participating in the Riva San Vitale study abroad residency program in Switzerland designed and constructed 6 small architectural projects. The installations, which were located in the main piazza by Lake Lugano, celebrated the scenic beauty of the town while engaging the community and celebrating the end of the semester.

Posters placed around the piazza offered the following (in Italian):

“Welcome to the community garden. The six pavilions installed here were designed and constructed over the last five days by teams of architecture students studying since January at the Steger Center of Virginia Tech. The temporary structures are a gift of thanks to the community members of Riva San Vitale.

Each structure celebrates the natural landscape in a unique way. Everyone is invited to sit, share, photograph, and experience the piazza, the lake, and the mountains with new eyes.

The projects will remain in place from Friday morning until Sunday evening, May 4. On Sunday, beginning at noon, members of the community are invited to take 1-2 plants home with them as an individual gift. In this way, the memories can be shared beyond the closing of the exhibit.”

Funding for the installations was provided by outreach, engagement, and enrichment grants from the School of Architecture and the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design.