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Author
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Jacopo Zaggia
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University
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University of Padua
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Work description
The thesis project addressed the restoration of Castello delle Rocchette through an integrated process of surveying, historical analysis, structural checks, and architectural repurposing design, with particular attention to the compatibility between the conservation of the existing heritage and the insertion of new contemporary elements. In this context, one of the project’s central themes was the study of the new tower, developed also through the use of RFEM6 for structural analysis and modeling.
The new tower is the project’s main defining feature in the restoration of Castello delle Rocchette and stems from the intention to reinterpret the original medieval tower, now reduced to ruins, without reconstructing it in a mimetic manner. The intervention is therefore based on the principles of critical-conservative restoration, maintaining a clear distinction between old and new and enhancing the existing masonry remains. From an architectural point of view, the tower is inserted within the surviving walls of the former structure, preserving its historical memory and its relationship with the surrounding landscape. The new volume is conceived as a contemporary, light and recognizable element, capable of dialoguing with the historic structure without altering its reading. The tower houses four rooms of the new accommodation facility and becomes a compositional and functional focal point of the entire complex.
From a structural point of view, the new construction is realized with an independent steel structure, designed so as not to impose loads on the existing historic masonry walls. This choice makes it possible to limit interference with the ancient ruin and to ensure better static and seismic performance. The structural analyses showed regular behavior of the new structure, with good stiffness values and safety with respect to horizontal actions. The use of steel also makes it possible to achieve slender sections, fast construction, and reversibility of the intervention, in line with contemporary restoration principles.
