UN CAPANNONE
Un Capannone (A-153) is located in the north-eastern area of Modena, which is currently undergoing a profound urban transformation. The area, once the beating heart of local craftsmanship, is shifting towards a more residential identity, to the point that this transition is becoming increasingly evident even within its architectural landscape. Indeed, one finds themselves before a heterogeneous fabric where small, still-active workshops coexist with decommissioned structures and new residential developments.
Within this rich scenario, the project Un Capannone (A-153) follows the footsteps of urban transformation: an edifice that, from an old, decommissioned industrial warehouse, has been converted into a residence. The recovery of the existing building becomes an act of regeneration that preserves the productive memory of the place, refunctionalising it for the needs of daily life.
The intervention confronts a complex and stratified pre-existence. The warehouse is not an isolated object, but is volumetrically integrated into a 1960s exposed-brick apartment building, which lacks any particular architectural merit. The design strategy does not seek mimicry, but rather distinction. The project is configured as a “white box” that visually detaches itself from the context, ennobling the industrial archetype and transforming it into a neutral container ready to welcome new stories.
Externally, the building preserves the warehouse profile intact, but is reinterpreted through a precise chromatic and material strategy. The choice of total white acts as a unifying element: the concrete parts, the plaster, and even the original brick have been painted white, transforming the structure into a pure, crisp architectural unit that is clearly distinguishable from the surrounding exposed-brick context.
The roof has been clad in metal sheeting, while the large industrial gates of the past have given way to metal infills and expansive glazed façades, which filter natural light through sunshades in line with the industrial language with which the residence engages.
Inside, the spaces have been treated with the same intentionality. The ceiling has been maintained as originally built, with exposed hollow clay blocks, and the perimeter walls have been painted white, while the iron beams have been cleaned and left in their original state.
The building thus becomes a neutral scenic backdrop, within which spaces are defined thanks to the presence of exposed concrete partition walls and birch wood panelling. Once again, the materials contribute to the interpretation of a space that becomes both rigorous and welcoming, inside of which — thanks to the warm tones of the birch wood — each room manages to soften the austere presence of the concrete with the delicate naturalness of timber, contrasting with one another.
One breathes an environment in which details become decisive, almost protagonists of the scene, narrators of stories gathered by those who inhabit Un Capannone (A-153).
It is divided into two functional souls: a main volume, characterised by a gabled roof, represents the true heart of the house, hosting the living area and social spaces; while the adjacent narrow and long volume, once used for offices and services, accommodates the sleeping area and the most intimate environments.
The point of contact between these two souls is represented by an original wall that was intentionally left in its raw state, with the intention of showcasing the signs of time. The kitchen also participates in this material narrative, defining itself through pure steel volumes that reflect the light of the large open space.
The result is an environment that does not impose itself, but becomes a discreet and precious backdrop, capable of generating unexpected visual vistas where the industrial past and the domestic present merge into a single identity.
The outdoor greenery was also designed in harmony with the building: large glazed façades frame natural vistas, allowing one to experience the interior space while always keeping an eye on the outdoor greenery. Conceived to have a natural and spontaneous appearance, it approaches the building through large green basins placed against the perimeter walls and climbing plants growing on a rear pergola.
The connection between interior and exterior is also pursued from a material standpoint. The concrete partitions that characterise the interior space are found again in the garden to define areas intended for services and, at the same time, frame the entrance.
This continuum of spaces is ultimately identified by the flooring, which plays a very important role in this theme: realised with industrial concrete flooring, it differs between inside and outside solely by the different size of the aggregate with which it is made, finer internally and rougher on the outside.
The intervention thus completes its deepest mutation: converting a former workspace into a living space, a warehouse reimagined as a home, where the historical structure becomes a protective envelope for a new domestic dimension.
