Mantova is renown for its aurora of mysticism. It is a town that treasures sensitivity of the sky, the harbour, the horse and the labyrinth. Mantova plays an active role in celebrating these crucial elements. When one enters into the Gonzaga’s breathtaking room with the zodiac signs painted on the ceiling, no doubt, one immediately surrenders all feelings and emotions to the fantastic myths and imaginations that one dares to unravel. Mantova, up to today, is still prying into people’s temporal and emotional magnitude through its lingering enigmatic ambiance. So how can a town such as Mantova preserve its uniqueness?

We feel that in order to tap into the essence of Mantova, we must restore the elements of sky, harbour, horse and labyrinth back to Mantova. Our design process zoomed in on the composition of Mantova’s glorious past with the hope that the past would be cherished in the present, and even in the future.

The night sky is magical when it is adorned with twinkling stars and therefore the planetarium is created to magnify the beauty of the sky. Furthermore, the academy of astronomy’s purpose is to probe into the mystery of the universe. The marina is generated to remind us the historical fact that Mantova thrived on trade by water. We propose to boldly expand on the harbour to allow more traffic in the harbour, and to articulate a new architectural shoreline to convey the impressive perspective of arrival by sea, which may, consequently increase tourism for better economy. Mantova was also famous for its horses, and the birth of the equine center is a direct response to this. Lastly, the great labyrinths of Mantova derive an air of mystery, curiosity and adventure. The labyrinth ignites a sense of excitement in us, and that is why we designed a floating garden with the intention of allowing one to find great pleasure in being lost in a world of beautiful vibrant flowers. People must not let these crucial elements be
sifted through their memory and be forgotten!