Un centro polifunzionale per riqualificare l’ex manifattura di ceramiche di Laveno-Mombello

The thesis work has as starting point the architectural competition carried out by YAC (Young Architects Competitions) in collaboration with Unipol. The aim of the competition was to transform the former pottery of Laveno-Mombello into a campus for childhood. A series of contradictions drove the research and influenced the design: Location - Italian village vs industrial heritage. The site is located in a beautiful context, on the banks of the Lake Maggiore and with the Alps as background. Laveno-Mombello, as the other villages that sprinkle on the banks of the lake, is mainly composed of small houses and churches harmoniously integrated in the landscape. But the industrial development has left its sign. Several abandoned industrial sites, out of scale and out of place, are left to their destiny and create a net of voids throughout the village. Users – Tourists vs locals. The Lake Maggiore is a well-known touristic destinations since centuries and the flow of tourist is increasing. It is a perfect holiday destination for both culture and nature lovers, for couples and for families. The site, close to many touristic attractions, would be the perfect spot for a new resort. On the contrary the population of the area is decreasing and employment possibilities are in decline. Should the locals be forgotten to leave place to the tourists or should they take part in the future of the area? Renovation – “Formless” vs “new form”. The former pottery is an accumulation of different buildings built throughout the XX century to respond to the always changing needs of the production. To renovate it there are two possible paths to take: -??A formless renovation where the new program finds place in the existing constructions, like an invisible architecture that reframes the old buildings, giving them new life without the effort to be reinvented; -??A “new form renovation” which adds a contemporary architecture to the accumulation of existing buildings. The project does not choose between the different contradictory elements but rather tries to include all of them. The new design wants to keep the industrial aspect of the complex but at the same time attempts to create a human scale related to the village of Laveno-Mombello. It wants to become a new destination for tourists, offering the possibility of camping or staying in a cabin hotel but additionally provides new services for the locals as kindergarten, schools and sport facilities. The renovation wants to transform the former pottery into a campus for childhood but likewise tries to attract people of all ages with a diverse program offer. Furthermore, given the big dimension of the site, the project follows both strategies of renovation: one part of the complex is renovated simply with the addition of new program, while the addition of a new contemporary architecture becomes crucial to restructure the overall site.