This reconstruction project begins with a ruin, caused by the 2009 earthquake. It adopts the characteristics of an operation of restitution and reproduction of memory, moving toward the conservation and safeguarding of the tower’s historical value as a landmark for the entire borgo. The exceptional nature of the site imposed the evident necessity to theoretically restore the form of the ancient tower, which served as a critical text during the phase of design. The material qualities of the tower were integrally restored, though with a new and innovative approach to the original wall assembly that reutilises stones salvaged from the collapse. The relationship between new and old walls is emphasised by a cut filled by a strip of lead that traces the irregular line of the collapse: a visible sign of the ancient building and evidence of the damage suffered. The material qualities of the tower were integrally restored, though with a new and innovative approach to the original wall assembly that reutilises stones salvaged from the collapse. The relationship between new and old walls is emphasised by a cut filled by a strip of lead that traces the irregular line of the collapse: a visible sign of the ancient building and evidence of the damage suffered.
The interior functions were completely reimagined: the ground floor hosts a small museographic installation marking the starting point of the ascent through the building. Organised as a continuous visual itinerary along the walls of the tower, this space is designed to host temporary exhibitions. The reorganisation of the different levels and means of utilising the tower begin with the valorisation of its vertical and eccentric interiors. The route up through the tower culminates in the final ramp of stairs leading to the roof, whose rectilinear form emphasises the diameter of the cylinder. Ramps and walkways occupy this space in irregular arrangements, aligned with significant axes defined by unique elements of the tower and the morphology of the surrounding urban fabric, assisting a reading of original views over the surrounding territory. Positioning the stair at the perimeter, alternating two ramps with small horizontal sections, helped manage and resolve critical intersections with the door of the old drawbridge and existing windows, which remain accessible and unencumbered by extraneous elements.
