Phd in HISTORY, REPRESENTATION AND RESTORATION OF ARCHITECTURE

Thesis title: Musealizzazione di preesistenze architettoniche: restauro e nuovo uso in Italia dagli anni Settanta del Novecento ai primi anni Duemila

The research aims to study, analyse and compare trends in restoration and the new use of existing architectural structures as museums between the 1970s and the early 2000s. The thesis is organised into four sections, one for each decade, which address the various aspects of those years, both in relation to restoration plans and their influence on critical reflections and operational activities of restoration and adaptation for new uses, and in relation to regulations, which were sometimes absent and in continuous development, continuing with the examination, the study and analysis of the writings of the masters of the early decades and of authors who expressed themselves, theoretically and through their projects, in the discipline of restoration and museum adaptation with different trends and nuances. The research aims to define a profile that clarifies and characterises the theme of restoration and new compatible uses, specifically for museums, of Italian architecture of historical and artistic value during the period under consideration. The trends, different shades of thought and main issues of those years were also explored through the study of a number of projects considered exemplary for the balance achieved between restoration work and museographic activity. In the same critical process behind each intervention, the architect paid considerable attention not only to the design but also to the construction of the exhibition systems, which were studied on a case-by-case basis. We would also like to draw attention to the changes made in recent years to some of these projects, wondering whether, in some cases, it might not be appropriate to place them under historical and artistic protection, as they are part of the history and operational activity of the various theories of restoration and, thanks to the methodology used, are still relevant, adaptable and have taught the world.