The Colour Plan of Egadi Islands

Abstract

The Egadi Islands, at the western end of Sicily, preserve a peculiar architectural and environmental heritage. The work of people – related to tuna fishing, stone extraction and agriculture – has created, over time, an exceptional landscape. The nature, colour and texture of the local stone have given shape to a traditional architecture that, today, risks to disappear and to be replaced by new anonymous buildings. Furthermore, the pressure of tourism threatens to damage this delicate balance established, over centuries, between people and environment. Therefore, the Local Administration decided to adopt a Colour Plan to manage the inevitable processes of territorial transformations. The Architecture Department of the University of Palermo and the INBAR (National Institute of Bio-Architecture) collaborate with City Council to define the Guidelines of Colour Plan. In this process, the architectural representation is used as a fundamental tool for analysing, understanding, interpreting and communicating the specific characteristics of the landscapes. The language of drawing is indispensable for the relief of architectures, traditional colours and connections with the landscape. Also, the local population has been involved with augmented reality applications, meetings and debates to implement the principles of participatory planning. In particular, young people, middle school students, high school students and university students were asked to express, with their drawings, the perception of the current landscape and expectations concerning the desired landscape.