Ruins and Revival - Eroding Ruins

5G infrastructure, cited as a saving grace for depopulating rural towns, is, in reality, only a catalyst for a gentrification of Italy’s rural landscape. According to the The EC's Digital Economy and Society Index of 2019, three out of ten people in Italy, largely residing in rural areas, were not regular internet users yet. It must be asked whether this new infrastructure is being introduced to bolster the dwindling populations residing in many of Italy's borghi, or if it is merely an accelerant for their ruin to be renovated into summer homes for tourists and day-trippers, and for history and tradition to be forgotten in favor of fashion. Our design integrates 5G technology into the seams and edges of a decaying wall. Like a vine, the structure is invasive; it latches itself to ruins, its sleek material contrasting the rough texture of the stone. in doing so, the antenna reappropriates the ruin in which it grows, facilitating the commodification of the history housed within the weathered stones.