The Solidarity District of Cesena, designed by Pier Currà Architettura, is the result of an intervention on an existing building that proposes an architecture that does not seek to impose itself, but rather to accompany, integrating into the natural environment of the urban park in which it is situated. The renovation generates a discreet and changing presence through a reflective metal envelope made of corrugated sheet panels that capture variations in light and seasons. The interior reinforces this idea through open, accessible, and bright spaces. Durable materials and sustainable solutions have been used to ensure low maintenance.
The complex is organized into two distinct but complementary volumes: the existing renovated two-story building, which houses the solidarity market on the ground floor and a community center on the upper floor, and a new annex warehouse of approximately 300 square meters used for the storage and distribution of goods, equipped with cold rooms. In addition, the Service Center offers spaces for meetings, community activities, and counseling.
Cesena Solidarity District by Pier Currà Architettura. Photograph by Nicolas Piazza.
Cesena Solidarity District by Pier Currà Architettura. Photograph by Nicolas Piazza.
Project description by Pier Currà Architettura
Architecture can be an instrument of care and inclusion. With the Distretto Solidale (Solidarity District) in Cesena, Pier Currà Architettura demonstrates how a building can become a civic center, capable of welcoming, connecting, and restoring dignity to the community.
Born from the need to collect and distribute free food to families in need, the project involved local associations and funds from the PNRR (National Park of Rural Development). It quickly expanded beyond its initial function to become a true urban dynamizer: a place of assistance, but also of encounter, training, and empowerment.
The project consists of two volumes: the conversion of an existing building, housing a solidarity market and social spaces, and a new warehouse of approximately 300 m². Connected by carefully designed internal flows, they symbolically reflect the cycle of giving and sharing.
Immersed in an urban park, the project takes a contextual approach. The new building is wrapped in a reflective skin of corrugated metal, which changes with the light and the seasons, blending into the landscape. Thus, the architecture becomes silent, vibrant, a collective reflection of the community.
Inside, the design combines efficiency and hospitality: distribution areas on the ground floor, and training and social activity rooms upstairs. This dual function makes it not only a place of support, but also of growth and active citizenship.
"We didn't want to create simply a functional container," explains Pier Currà, "but a space of listening and dignity."
The Solidarity District demonstrates that architecture can transform a public investment into a space of collective value, capable of regenerating the city and building a more equitable future.
