Compatible reuse of the single hall churches in Catania (IT): thinking and proposals

Abstract

Summarizing the most recent studies about scientific approaches to the theme of building reuse, we propose a metadesign strategy applied to the single hall churches in Catania’s historic centre. We have performed a census and analyses on them from a morphological, technical and thermo-physical point of view. We also conducted an analysis of the urban settlement system in which these historic buildings are located, in order to verify compatibility with the "new" potential uses. However, a critical issue emerges regarding the possibility to standardize the decision-making processes involving historic buildings with a high cultural relevance.This study proposes a meta-approach to the problem of compatible reuse, looking at the specificity of disused or little used religious buildings. After making a short state of art, a cataloging and expeditious anamnesis, we have analysed a framework of needs that would consider the settlement demands in the urban context of Catania. We performed, at the end, an assessment of compatibility of reuse that satisfies the historic building safeguard, the reversibility of possible action and the requirements of the new undertaken functions.