Experimental

This project stems from a critical approach to the idea of total demolition, instead proposing a strategy of adaptation, revitalisation, and the creation of new opportunities from an abandoned structure. The existing ruin, composed of stone and brick elements, was understood not as an obstacle but as potential — a foundation rich in memory and character, capable of supporting a new way of living.

On the ground floor, the intervention preserves the integrity of the pre-existing structure, allowing the dwellings to develop organically, shaped by the irregular geometries and the thickness of the old walls. The ruin here serves as both physical and narrative support — defining pathways, boundaries, and atmospheres.

Above this base, a new gallery-style housing structure emerges, composed of small duplex studios. The extension is expressed through the lightness and precision of contemporary construction systems: metal framework, dry panels, and modular components. The contrast in materials — metal over stone — is intentional, marking the passage of time and the coexistence of past and present.

This act of superimposition respects local qualities — scale, materials, building traditions — but reinterprets them through the lens of contemporary demands for flexibility, efficiency, and economy of means. Rather than erasing, the project adds; rather than replacing, it transforms. A ruin thus becomes an active foundation, paving the way for new forms of occupation and urban regeneration.