Gardella’s Lost Legacy: The Church of Alessandria. Study, 3D documentation and analysis

This thesis delves into the soul of Iganzio Gardella’s church, a lost legacy nestled in the complex of Teresio Borsalino Rehabilitation Center (previously called as the Sanatorium of Anti Tuberculosis Vittorio Emmanuele III) in Alessandria. More than an architectural artifact, the church embodies the confluence of modernist ideals and therapeutic intent, while remaining a place of great historical and cultural value for people of Alessandria. A key example of Rationalism, the church is analyzed through the lens of historical exploration, advanced survey methods, digital documentation, restoration analysis, and concludes into envisioning a new life for this structure. As a beacon of Rationalist architecture, the church becomes a lens to reflect on the evolution of design, the narrative of decay, and the profound role of architecture in healing and community connection. The research begins with a historical overview, situating the church within the urban and architectural trajectory of Alessandria and its transformation into a modern industrial and cultural hub. This section highlights the influence of the Borsalino family and their patronage of avant-garde architectural interventions through the family of Gardella. It links the sanatorium and the church to the city’s historical and social identity. The core of this thesis lies in the application of advanced survey methodologies to document the church’s current state with precision and rigor. Combining topographic survey, LiDAR and Photogrammetry, the study captures the building’s geometry, material conditions, and precise architectural details. The integration of these techniques forms a robust foundation for creating 2D architectural drawings with high precision and a comprehensive Historic Building Information Model (HBIM). The HBIM approach enables not only detailed documentation but also helps in documenting building’s actual condition allowing for an evolution of building’s condition while ensuring accuracy through Level of Accuracy (LOA) standards. The dual focus of documentation and accuracy establishes the model as a critical tool for both, restoration planning, and the digitization of modernist heritage. The degradation analysis and restoration solutions are informed by the documented data, focusing on the material and architectural degradation of the facades in line with the restoration practices for 20th century architecture. The proposed solutions emphasize maintaining the authenticity of Gardella’s original design while addressing the challenges of preserving modernist materials and construction techniques. The thesis concludes with a conceptual revitalization proposal, reimagining the church as a “Legacy Center”. This adaptive reuse concept respects the historical integrity of the structure while introducing programs such as exhibitions, educational activities, and the central area remains as a flexible space for multiple activities. These interventions are complemented by reconnecting the church with its therapeutic context within the rehabilitation center. This research contributes to the fields of architectural conservation, digital documentation of heritage using traditional methods and their comparison with advanced methods such as Scan to BIM approach to create outputs with the highest level of accuracy possible. By integrating these methods into restoration workflows, this study provides a framework for balancing historical preservation with adaptive reuse in contemporary architectural practice.