City on the Hill - Palazzo della Commedia

This thesis is an exploration of three architectural types: regia, tholus, and theatrum which put together in the form of a building would demonstrate the nature of architecture.

My quest traces these types in time and geography and combines them in a play that takes place in the form of a building in Blacksburg, Virginia and on the foothills of mythical Mount Alban near Rome, Italy.

Furthermore, this thesis addresses questions regarding methods of construction techniques, and building materials used in each of the building forms presented. In doing so it reinterprets a traditional construction technique through a study model.