Parasite Architecture. Recycling strategies for the contemporary city

This thesis is focused on projects that establish parasitic relationships with pre-existing structures. In the first part of my thesis I explore the concept of the parasite (referring to Michel Serres' book ''Le Parasite'' in particular) as a biological metaphor, as a social figure and as an intruder of the linguistic structure (such as footnotes, quotes). These three interpretations then become a frame for the understanding of the different tendencies of contemporary parasitic architecture. In order to explain the interpretative capacity of the parasite vs the existing structure, I will deal with some applications of this concept in the art world (such as the role of art itself with respect to the city, parasite museum structures of the city, installations that adopt this approach with the exhibition space). In the second part I'm investigating the parasite/space and parasite/time relationship: highlighting how this method of architectural recycling collides with abandoned spaces within the city and allows the coexistence of different architectural times, the time of the pre-existing structure and that of the parasite architecture. In order to underline the different connection devices used with respect to the existing structure, the third part of this thesis analyzes a series of contemporary projects. In the conclusion I outline the possible outcomes that parasite architecture has on the city and on the theoretic scene of contemporary architecture, seeking to highlight a model of development.