Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1
Title
Design Strategies of Palazzo Agonigi da Scorno Intervention by Piero SanpaolesiBridging Urban Remains through Formal Continuity
Author(s)
Pedro Freitas
Affiliation
Faculty of Architecture, University of Porto
DOI
https://doi.org/10.65686/OZTA4383
Keywords
Intervention in Ruins, History of Conservation Design, Post-War Reconstruction
PP
388-395
How to Cite
Freitas, Pedro. “Design Strategies of Palazzo Agonigi da Scorno Intervention by Piero Sanpaolesi Bridging Urban Remains through Formal Continuity.” In Proceedings of the International Conference on Adaptive Reuse. Volume 1, edited by Andrea Crudeli, Francesca Molle, and Emanuele Carrai, 388–395. Firenze: STH Press, 2026.
Abstract
The fertile context of post-war reconstructions in Europe provided different conditions for the development of numerous architectural interventions, ranging from total reconstructions to pure material conservation. Despite the harsh activities, it enabled the analysis of historical structures while fostering a new design dilemma as a condition for the “new”. How could a fragmented ruin support the necessary information to shape the formal identity of a new building? Supported by textual and iconographic sources available in Italian institutions, this paper describes an introductory analysis of the design strategies adopted from 1958 to 1968 by the architect Piero Sanpaolesi on the remains of the Palazzo Agonigi da Scorno, in Santa Maria Street, Pisa. The scope of the work is to fill a gap about the building’s design process, aiming to contribute to the discussion on how Piero Sanpaolesi’s design recovered the palace’s urban significance through the means of remanufacturing contextual typology while fostering material contrast. The case presented reveals a pioneering vision that emphasizes that preserving a building’s original form while adapting it for modern needs is crucial for a city’s vitality and significance.
Edited by
Andrea Crudeli
Francesca Molle
Emanuele Carrai
Publisher
STH Press, Firenze
ISBN Paperback – 9791281661141
ISBN Ebook – 9791281661158
DOI – https://doi.org/10.65686/SISY7263
Year
2026
Proceedings of
International Conference on Adaptive Reuse
hosted by The University of Pisa, Italy
15-19 September 2025, at the Gispoteca di Arte Antica dell’Università di Pisa.