"Villa dei Laghi: Adaptive Reuse and Architectural Restoration

In the past, restoration work has mostly focused on important and historic buildings, especially those considered unique and special. These projects often aim to protect monuments with great historical and artistic value. However, restoring and reusing an old building can be more complex than building something new. It requires working with what already exists, respecting its history, and carefully adding new functions. A project that looks at both the building and its surroundings can help avoid the problem of placing a restored building in an area that is damaged or disconnected from its context. In Italy, many historic buildings are abandoned or in bad condition due to a lack of care and regular maintenance. In front of these buildings, we must ask: is it better to let them continue to decay, or can we find new uses for them that give them value again? My thesis focuses on one of these buildings: Villa dei Laghi, a beautiful and historic villa located in the La Mandria Regional Park, northwest of Turin. The villa sits on a small peninsula surrounded by artificial lakes, creating a peaceful and unique natural setting. I carried out this project under the guidance of Professor Elena Vigliocco and Professor Manuela Mattone, with the goal of bringing the villa back to life through both restoration and reuse. In my work, I focused first on the restoration of the villa’s facades, fixing the damage and protecting the original architecture. Then, I worked on reusing and reactivating the building by giving it a new function that fits with the place and its history. The new purpose I gave to the villa is that of an artist residency—a place where artists can live and work, surrounded by nature. The residency offers artists time and space to focus on their creative work, while also creating a new cultural use for the building. This gives new life to the villa and helps connect it to the public in a meaningful way. This project combines two goals: to protect the historical identity of the villa, and to make it useful again in today’s world. The artist residency brings together art, nature, and history, helping both the local area and the people who visit it. Throughout my research, I also studied the history of the villa and how the area around it has changed. This helped me understand how to design a project that fits well with its past and its surroundings. I believe this type of approach can be a good example for restoring other buildings in La Mandria Park. In the end, my project tries to build a bridge between the past and the present—protecting the villa’s history while creating a new story for its future. It shows how old buildings can be saved and reused in smart and creative ways.