The Carmagnola 4R project is a large-scale urban regeneration scheme that intertwines restoration with collective memory. We began with the concept of heritage as a design and cultural tool, focusing on medieval buildings and various public squares that have defined the town’s identity for centuries.

The Antichi Bastioni and the Torre Circolare, testaments to Carmagnola’s medieval history, have been restored and repurposed through meticulous restoration work, which preserves materials, surfaces and historical layers whilst improving accessibility for the community. At the same time, the regeneration of the two squares (Piazza Antichi Bastioni and Piazza Rayneri) has reimagined public spaces as places for social interaction: new pedestrian routes, enhanced green spaces, lighting designed to highlight the historic architecture, and a reorganisation of the road network that puts people back at the centre.

The monastery of Sant’Agostino, on the other hand, which had been unused for years due to serious structural problems and was in a state of neglect, is now undergoing renovation and will become a cultural centre accessible to all. The works include a complete functional reorganisation of the interior spaces, with the introduction of a dedicated area for consultation and archiving that is accessible to the public.

Here, we are bringing authentic materials and spaces back to life, restoring greater architectural quality to the building as a whole. The incorporation of new elements such as staircases and lifts has been approached using a contemporary design language, with the use of materials such as metal – deliberately contrasting with the historic context – to highlight its value.

Every design decision stems from a desire to preserve the existing value, intervening only where necessary to enable contemporary use and enhancing the historic centre of Carmagnola, without losing the connection to its history.