The students participating in the 2023 REgenerate Workshop engaged in an exciting exercise that explores a pioneering work in reinforced concrete, futuristic Torino Esposizioni Pavilion designed by the visionary architect Pier Luigi Nervi in 1950. This exercise allows attendees to appreciate how architectural advancements of the past can creatively be brought back to life in our contemporary context.

As every year, the Recube 2023 project continued to focus on the restoration and transformation of important architectural landmarks. This time the spotlight was on the Torino Esposizioni exhibition halls in Turin, a masterpiece designed by Pier Luigi Nervi , which has been in disrepair for years.

This year’s REcube learning, teaching and training activities were structured, as usual, in an online FRONTIER WORKSHOP ON CUTTING-EDGE TOPICS and a REGENERATE WORKSHOP in-presence at the Politecnico di Milano campus in Lecco.

 The 2023 Frontier Workshop on “HBIM and Diagnostics of Existing Reinforced Concrete Structures” was organised by METU University and featured a rich workshop programme (find it here). The participants, 33 students from various REcube partner universities, attended a series of morning lectures that set the stage for their collaborative efforts in the afternoon in preparation for the upcoming REgenerate Workshop.

 Once in Lecco, at the POLIMI campus, the six-day experience of the REgenerate Workshop unfolded with great participation (read the full programme of the workshop here). The students had the unique opportunity to explore the grandeur of the Torino Esposizioni complex in Turin during an enlightening site visit. The workshop then immersed them in a series of engaging lectures delivered by the participating teachers, enriching their knowledge in various aspects of the field.

 However, it was the intense group work that truly exemplified the spirit of the REgenerate workshop. Guided by their passion for architecture and engineering, as well as a deep sense of responsibility for the preservation of history, the students worked enthusiastically together, brainstorming and developing innovative proposals for the restoration and revitalisation of Hall C within the Torino Esposizioni structure.

 As the workshop drew to a close, the organisers applauded the students for their commitment and enthusiasm. They await the students’ final online presentations, scheduled for the autumn, where they will showcase their group proposals and give some inspiration for the future of architectural restoration and adaptive reuse of the Torino Esposizioni complex.