Inspired by Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities, this project reinterprets the city of Zobeide through the experience of a solitary traveller. In the original story, the inhabitants are driven by desire, endlessly rebuilding the city in pursuit of a mysterious woman who appeared in their dreams. The proposal transforms this narrative into an architectural journey where desire is replaced by curiosity. Through a sequence of inviting entrances, compressed passages, shifting viewpoints, and moments of uncertainty, the traveller is gradually drawn deeper into the structure. What begins as a room to observe the city becomes an experience of the city itself. By navigating the spaces and following the promise of discovery, the traveller unknowingly reenacts the same cycle that shaped Zobeide, becoming trapped within its narrative of pursuit, curiosity, and observation.
Manual Drawings
The technical drawings reveal the spatial narrative that shapes the traveller's journey through the Room to Observe. Plans and sections demonstrate how circulation, changing volumes, and framed viewpoints are carefully arranged to encourage movement deeper into the structure. Rather than providing a direct route to observation, the architecture creates moments of compression, uncertainty, and anticipation, reflecting the winding streets of Zobeide itself. The drawings illustrate how curiosity becomes the primary force guiding the traveller forward.
