Understanding Restoration in a Post-seismic Context, between Critical Issues, Tools, Opportunities and Perspectives

Abstract

In the event of disasters, the concept of restoration is often misrepresented as a (impossible) return to previous situations, or limited to decorative elements considered as accessories that can be separated from the architectural organism; in any case, it is placed in the background (if not completely ignored) with respect to the issues of safety and usability. The understanding of the values and the meanings of architecture is therefore distorted and canceled with respect to the urgency of "recovering" a heritage identified only in the best-known monuments, neglecting the theoretical reflections developed following the wars destructions and, in particular, the experiences of previous post-seismic reconstructions that often disfigured cities and territories more than the immediate damage itself. Yet, if on the one hand the study of buildings in damaged contexts presents significant critical issues, on the other hand the material observation provides significant opportunities for the deepening of historical-construction knowledge; this learning – essential for understanding the actual state of damage and vulnerability, often determined by anthropic actions – also provides the opportunity to develop new knowledge on the heritage itself. Teaching for architectural restoration therefore assumes a central role both to reflect on the purposes of conservation and to contribute significantly to the realization of the knowledge path indicated by the Guidelines and regulations.