Street Furniture

Abstract

past. In the last chapter the authors deal with a larger scale issue — the relationship between the adaptive reuse of factories and urban regeneration of districts and cities. For this purpose, former industrial zones in Turin, Milan, Venice and Rome were examined. Again, readers may see some of the previously described industrial sites, this time shown from a different angle. There is no typical concluding chapter. However, this gap is filled by an epilogue (or afterword) by Giovanni Luigi Fontana — a former president of AIPAI, a professor of architecture, and an outstanding specialist in the field of industrial heritage protection. What is more, the lack of a traditional summary opens an opportunity for readers to draw their own conclusions, as Eduardo Curra indicated in his foreword. Regarding the structure of the book, a comparison of a particular building ‘as it was’ and ‘as it is’ might be problematic and demanding for readers, who have to look back and forth through the content of two chapters. It would be much easier to follow if some guidance or index was provided. The book is fully bilingual (in English and Italian), and richly illustrated. The authors tried to find a balance between the visually appealing photographs and plans as well as diagrams. It is always a difficult task, to make content interesting for different circles of readership. In this case, not only images but also the text seem to be successful in this respect. The book is a valuable supplement to the literature on adaptive reuse, which— at least in Europe— is becoming a leading trend in architectural activity, and in view of the need to reduce the carbon footprint of the construction industry, its importance can only increase. At the same time, technological progress means that subsequent industrial buildings will lose their original purpose, so the reviewed publication is not only an excellent summary of Italian achievements but also a reference material for researchers and a source of inspiration for designers preparing further projects to adapt factories.