Transforming an ancient part of a military district into a new meeting place and crossroads

The complex of the Caserma Curtatone and Montanara, the ancient part of the military district of San Martino in the historic center of Pisa, is composed of buildings dating back to various periods and arranged in an irregular way compared to the pre-existing buildings. The redevelopment project by Pierattelli Architetture, along several years of design, leads a recovery in the old part and proposes new additions of architecture, for the purpose of creating a social housing, a residential complex that performs the function of general interest. The restoration and integration project for the Caserma Curtatone transforms the area into a new meeting place and crossroads for the city of Pisa. A careful revaluation project of the external areas transforms the heart of the property into a public park full of vegetation characterized by pedestrian and driveway paths. The buildings that compose the complex dialogue with each other in shapes and colors, characterized by a palette of warm and soft tones. The new building, developed on four levels, will host a total of nineteen units, divided into five types of various sizes and equipped with large openings. The large terraces are in the perspective linear and clean, a characteristic element in which it was inserted vegetation. The interventions on the existing buildings involve the creation of skylights on the roof, the creation and/or redistribution of existing openings, the redistribution of internal spaces, with displacements and/or creation of internal walls, the creation of new condominium staircases, new access stairs inside the individual homes. Moreover, an internal insulating coat will be made to comply with the energy saving requirements set out in the legislation. A recurring architectural element in almost all the volumes is the shape of the small elevations of access to the individual buildings, (necessary to overcome the difference in height between the garden and the interior) and the necessary ramps that must have a slope of 8% to allow the transit of disabled people, which gives uniqueness to all the elements that compose the buildings complex. Some of the materials used in the project include: • Exterior window frames in PVC or aluminium painted in the colors used in the area, (brick-sand tones) provided in some cases with Florentine painted shutters; • The entrance doors in wooden material; • The inclined roofing will have a covering layer in tiles; • The exterior facades will be plastered and treated with tempera in sand colors and relative shades. The external areas of the complex will be the subject of a careful restoration, the planting of new trees and the arrangement of green areas will be carried out, together with the identification of the pedestrian paths and those necessary for the movement of people and of the parking areas.