The intervention involved the conservative restoration and re-functionalization of the complex, with the aim of improving the quality of urban decor and enriching the social and environmental fabric of the area.

The main challenge was to make the complex usable again in terms of accessibility, walkability and safety. After a careful analysis of the existing structures and a timely design, we decided to preserve the existing building body, equipping it with the necessary features to meet current regulatory requirements for accessibility and safety. Concurrently, we designed a new enclosure body that would fit harmoniously with the existing structure.

This approach allowed us to achieve several benefits: significant savings in demolition costs, easier site operations, and the creation of a new contemporary and resilient envelope. Our goal was to enhance the history and preciousness of the existing building envelope without altering the original essence. The building extension, built directly on the existing structure, represents a harmonious combination of new and old elements.

Instead of pure conservative restoration, we chose to intervene by highlighting the existing architectural facades, ensuring stylistic and material continuity without interruption. The solution that seemed most appropriate to us was to focus on the staircase body, the connecting element between the various spaces. We enhanced its function with a transparent envelope, made of a structural glass curtain wall, reflecting the existing facades, creating a visual dialogue between the new and the old.

The design of the outdoor space allowed us not only to integrate the plant elements without making them too impactful, but also to create an open and usable place for the community, larger and greener. With this intervention, we wanted to give the former Cottolengo complex a new life, keeping its historical identity intact and, at the same time, adapting it to contemporary needs, offering the community a valuable and renewed place.