Giuseppe Vecchio

Beyond the Edge

This thesis proposes a strategic extension of Taormina, one of Sicily’s most iconic and seasonally saturated towns through a contemporary architectural layer that blends infrastructure, landscape, and community. Echoing Sicily’s tradition of architectural palimpsest, such as the Cathedral of Ortigia, the project adds a new stratum that respects and continues the region’s layered identity. Shaped through cut-and-fill techniques, the intervention forms a terraced infrastructural landscape that physically and socially embraces (abbraccia) Taormina. It expands the urban grid into the hills, introducing paths, plazas, gardens, and civic platforms that preserve key views toward Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea, while fostering everyday Sicilian life beyond the historic core. 
 
To root the new architecture in its surroundings, the retaining walls are crafted from limestone, sandstone, and lavic stone worked with traditional techniques to echo the textures and material heritage of the island. This approach makes the intervention feel familiar and integrated, rather than imposed. 
The infrastructure embeds agricultural and communal programs such as olive oil and wine storage, markets, and gathering spaces while new housing plots offer opportunities for long-term foreign residents to support the local economy.  
 
Ultimately, this project repositions Taormina as a living landscape one that evolves with care, balances heritage with renewal, and extends its identity into the future.