Common Tides | Sofiya Belovich

View from land into the lagoon, Common Tides — View from land into the lagoon

A shared waterfront at the Giardini vaporetto stop where commuters, residents and Biennale visitors overlap, and the tide stays visible.

Situated between the Giardini park and the Venetian lagoon, the project transforms the vaporetto stop into a shared waterfront for residents, daily commuters, and Biennale visitors. The site brings together neighborhood routines and seasonal flows of cultural tourism, yet its existing public spaces offer limited opportunities to stay. The proposal responds to these different rhythms through spaces that accommodate efficient transit alongside recreation, gathering, and cultural activity.

Two boarding terminals frame a stepped public space, with direct connections to the park extending pedestrian life toward the water. Seating, shaded areas, and flexible spaces for markets and exhibitions create opportunities for incidental encounters between people whose experiences of Venice might otherwise remain separate. A retractable canopy allows the central space to adapt to different activities throughout the day.

Steps descend into the lagoon, making tidal fluctuations visible through the changing waterline. Planted edges and textured surfaces create conditions for aquatic life, linking public occupation with the lagoon’s ecology. Reclaimed stone, timber, and components from decommissioned vaporetto stops extend the life of existing resources while grounding the proposal in Venice’s material culture.

ASite and context

Venice and its lagoon, Common Tides — Venice and its lagoonThe lagoon provides the project’s wider ecological context. Its tidal rhythms and aquatic habitats inform the stepped waterfront and submerged habitat surfaces.

Vaporetto movement map, Common Tides — Vaporetto movement map

Site analysis, Common Tides — Site analysis

BUsers and system

Users by month, Common Tides — Users by monthThe seasonal fluctuations in passenger demographics indicate that the new design should be adaptable throughout the year.

Overlapping routines, Common Tides — Overlapping routinesThe user studies compare anticipated patterns of occupation across the day and between seasons. The result informs a space that can accommodate different groups and changing levels of activity.

Existing stops: San Marco–San Zaccaria, Common Tides — Existing stops: San Marco–San Zaccaria

Existing stops: Giardini, Common Tides — Existing stops: Giardini

CConcept

Closing the loop, Common Tides — Closing the loopDecommissioned vaporetto stops become a source of reusable components. Reclaimed aluminum is repurposed for the roof, while existing floating platforms provide surfaces for aquatic growth. Material recovery and design for disassembly extend these cycles into the structure’s future.

DDocumentation

Park to water, Common Tides — Park to waterThe terminals extend onto land to connect with existing pedestrian routes. Planting reaches toward the waterfront, bringing the park into closer contact with the stepped public space and lagoon.

Station plan, Common Tides — Station plan

EViews

Stepped waterfront, Common Tides — Stepped waterfront