Conoscenza e progetto per il riuso di spazi esistenti: un caso di studio

The paper concerns the reuse of an historical, disused portion of a broader monumental complex previously involved in a partial functional restoration process, focused not only at the physical and material conservation but also at triggering the development of the complex itself as well as its urban surroundings. The paper concerns the functional restoration of the stables and of the now-disused private chapel of Palazzo Vistarino, a eighteenth-century noble house located in Pavia, currently serving as the headquarters of "Ente per il Diritto allo Studio” and of “Alma Mater Ticinensis Foundation”. At first the historical highlights will be depicted, moving on to the analytical techniques that lead to the preliminary evaluation of possible future functions. The paper will investigate the reasons that lead to the final choices, connected both to the functional compatibility with pre-existing traits and to an enhancement of public awareness with respect to the enclosing structure, via an increased and improved openness to the public. This work will then address the knowledge and analytical methodologies adopted considering spatial representation, as well as it's level of degradation, the building techniques used, including structural analysis.