The Crossing: A Utopian Vision of Migration in the Central Mediterranean

Abstract

This thesis treats human migration as an essential human right– one which deserves durable, designed solutions. Sited in the Central Mediterranean, the project reframes the choreography of the harrowing journey from Tripoli to the shores of Lampedusa as a suspense of flight. By inviting people to stay, receive care and prepare for the landing in Europe, the Mediterranean becomes a watery grounds for agency and self-determination among those migrating. The design outcome of the thesis is the building of a nomadic, mission-based utopia among the discards of offshore oil technology: a collectively governed, stateless, and artificial island which resists the carceral qualities of state-run camps. The sea is no longer the final frontier in a long flight from home, but a stepping stone to self-actualizing one’s dreams.