Astanteria Urban Garden LAB

General info/

Politecnico di Torino

Atelier: Adaptive reuse

Location: Torino, Italia

Year: 2023

Team/ Paula Ardila

Serena Mainardi

María José Molina

The Astanteria Martini was created as a project of medical assistance for workers in the industrial areas of the city of Turin in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Today, it is an abandoned space (also known as “no place”), which has generated physical and social ruptures in the Aurora neighborhood. Therefore, it was decided to take this as a case study during the adaptive reuse project in which it was re-signified and valorized, generating new physical and social dynamics in the sector.

Buildings or urban spaces are some of the traces left by humanity, reflecting life of communities and their history. They are the legacy of the past and today they continue to be part of the evolution of their context. It can be said that, as years go by, these spaces deteriorate and their function becomes obsolete in a dynamic and changing world. Deciding to adapt and re-signify a historical space or building is a political statement that generates environmental, cultural, social, and economic reactions. Industry in Turin began to develop extensively during the 19th century, giving it great economic and political importance. Industrial development generated many consequences that determined the city’s nature, its urban growth, the quality of life, the type of work, and, in turn, the type of needs. This industrial, social and economic phenomenon came with wide-ranging demands and needs for all those workers who were contributing to Turin’s industry. Currently, one of the most important industrial areas is the Aurora neighborhood, located in the northwestern part of the city. These were industrial neighborhoods where a whole world was generated around them in addition to establishing industries. Therefore, the neighbourhoods are equipped with supermarkets, hospitals, schools, and leisure areas.

The Astanteria Martini is one of those buildings that support the development of industrial workers’ lives, being a first aid to medical emergencies. Over the years, the sector negatively changed and, unfortunately, this building did not evolve to the needs of the inhabitants. Hence, today it is in a state of abandonment. Nevertheless, it is a building that has a great unifying potential to generate life and promote the social, economic, and cultural development of the sector. As a result, a project is carried out in which its historical character is valued, adapting it to the needs of today’s inhabitants. Spatial, structural, cultural, and social qualities are taken into account to create a social center where the inhabitants of the Aurora neighborhood can create points of union, community spaces, and personal development.

The Astanteria Martini has remained in time as a symbol of the heritage that identifies Aurora, as well as Turin, being part of the services provided for workers in the industrial areas of the city during the 1920’s. This is a building that morphologically, logistically and socially had an important position within the city. But after more than 100 years of its construction and being “obsolete” in terms of the services for which it was built, it has been forgotten, where it is only remembered as a skeleton, an urban void in a city as large and developed as Turin. This building seems to be in the wrong place, in the middle of a residential area where it no longer serves any function.

Analysis/

The superposition of the most important elements of the Astanteria Martini were studied separately to understand how each layer works as a system, not only between them, but also with their environment. The services and the spaces inside are connected from the structure and the skin to the surrounding environment, and the green space is virtually connected to the building. The Astanteria Martini embraces this exterior space, showing the strong connection already existing between the internal spaces with the public space.