Studio Poggioli has created a coherent dialogue between history and contemporary design in the former church of San Barbaziano, thanks to in-depth research in the State Archives and an analysis of the façades' deterioration. This intervention brings to light the essence of the building, combining the conservative restoration of the surfaces and external decorative elements with the introduction of innovative components.
The restoration has restored the architecture's legibility without masking its history, preserving the traces of the past and the signs of the passage of time. The historical layers that have acted upon the surfaces are highlighted, using materiality as a tool for communication.
San Barbaziano Restoration by Studio Poggioli. Photograph by Alessaandro Saletta.
Contemporary elements have been introduced, such as the large windows that recall the building's various industrial uses (warehouse, workshop, and garage), and materials like Corten steel and burnished brass. Finally, a wide glazed entrance invites visitors to discover an interior space marked by light and shadow, where the decorative elements have been consolidated without restoring the original colors, thus respecting their current state.
The project is one of the 40 selected for the EUmies / Mies van der Rohe Awards 2026.
