From Industrial Heritage to Cultural Spaces: Architectural Transformation and Adaptive Reuse in Three Italian Case Studies

The reuse of disused industrial buildings has become an important issue in the transformation of contemporary cities, particularly in areas where the decline of industrial activities has left large buildings and complexes without their original function. Rather than being considered only as abandoned spaces, these structures can become part of new processes of urban and cultural transformation, while retaining traces of the activities and communities that shaped them. This thesis investigates the adaptive reuse of former industrial buildings as cultural spaces in Italy, focusing on the relationship between the existing architecture and its new function. The research considers how industrial buildings can be transformed without completely losing the spatial, material and historical characteristics that make them significant examples of industrial heritage. Particular attention is given to the architectural relationship between the existing structure and the interventions introduced by the reuse project, as well as to the way in which spaces originally designed for production are adapted to accommodate public and cultural activities. The research develops through the analysis of three Italian case studies: Pirelli HangarBicocca in Milan, Città della Scienza in Naples, and Museo del Tessuto in Prato. The three cases represented different scales, contexts and approaches to the reuse of industrial heritage. Each case is examined through four main aspects: the historical and industrial context of the site, the characteristics of the original complex, the architectural transformation carried out through the reuse project, and its current cultural function. The comparison of these cases highlights that adaptive reuse does not necessarily imply either the complete preservation or the complete transformation of an industrial building. Instead, each project establishes a different balance between existing structures and new interventions, between the memory of the original productive function and the requirements of contemporary public use. The thesis therefore considers adaptive reuse as a process of architectural transformation through which former industrial spaces can acquire a new cultural role while continuing to communicate aspects of their industrial past. Through the analysis of these three examples, the research aims to contribute to a broader understanding of how industrial heritage can be integrated into contemporary cultural and urban environments, not simply as a preserved remnant of the past, but as an active part of the present.