Tra conservazione e riuso, le sfide del mutamento: il restauro di architetture razionaliste in Romagna

Contrary to what might be expected, the themes of energy efficiency, accessibility, safety and structural adjustment do not respond to linear chronological rules, according to which the further away in time the construction of a building is, the greater the gap from the current standards. The above assertion is demonstrated by recent events, regarding the restoration of buildings built during the 1930s and characterised by the use of construction and plant technologies that were highly innovative, if not revolutionary, but requiring today a profound rethink. The paper reviews some cases of restoration interventions – already carried out or at the stage of simple design – of rationalist buildings in Romagna, in which the needs imposed by the new uses (often very close to the “original” ones) have led to significant works of structural improvement, plant engineering and accessibility, sometimes with consequences harshly connected to the contemporary idea of “conservative restoration” (the only approach that is allowed in case of buildings subjected to a declaration of historical and architectural interest under the Legislative Decree 42/2004). In particular, the most intricate nodes of the difficult and non-trivial relationship between conservation, compatibility and reuse will be identified and subjected to a critical examination, with a view to achieving the best objectives for the protection of this heritage.