San Bartolomeo – The village of Beauty

developed during the YACademy course on Heritage under the tutorship of Giuseppe Zampieri (David Chipperfield Architects) with Beatriz Antuna, Antonio Antonino e Matteo Polignano

“Everything must change to ensure that everything remains as it is”

“Il Gattopardo” – Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa

The theme around which the recovery of the ancient Borgo di San Bartolomeo revolves is that of the conversion of old spaces in an advanced state of decay into spaces for research, sharing and communication.
The proposed project is actually to be considered more of an approach, a study outline that explores the various and interesting options for redeveloping the spaces of the village, enhancing the various remaining fragments: where the structures are seriously damaged or the ancient form is irrecoverable, the intervention aims to consolidate the state of the art and secure the various components, while respecting the nature that has grown inside the building over time; on the other hand, slightly damaged structures could be repaired with minimal and recognizable interventions, using local materials that are clearly distinguishable and which contribute to the correct reading of the history of the building.

Lastly, the most recently built buildings are maintained in their features but the internal spaces are completely transformed according to the new activities proposed inside.
The result of these considerations can be considered a methodical and precise approach, as if a surgeon were acting; the new and “modern” interventions are 10% of the project itself, while 90% of the recovered areas see only the safety and protection interventions necessary to recover the use of the spaces and environments of the complex.