Military Museum
The majesty of the rocks, the eternity of wind, sea and sky, the dignity of time: the Capo d’Orso atmosphere is solemn and peaceful, in spite of the past of this place, theatre of several bloody clashes, where balance between man and nature is deeply-rooted and at the same time suspended in a never ending history.
The main goal of this project is to keep this atmosphere, giving the possibility of this discovery to everyone, respecting nature and memories.
The majesty of the rocks, the eternity of wind, sea and sky, the dignity of time: the Capo d’Orso atmosphere is solemn and peaceful, in spite of the past of this place, theatre of several bloody clashes, where balance between man and nature is deeply-rooted and at the same time suspended in a never ending history.
The main goal of this project is to keep this atmosphere, giving the possibility of this discovery to everyone, respecting nature and memories.
The main guideline of our vision has been the development of the required infrastructures by building as little as possible; the Military Fortress buildings offer the chance of using them again with new functions, their surfaces and volumes has been studied to fit the different activities and the interventions for the restoration have been thought to be declared and contemporary but with materials and colours that merge in the natural and built panorama.
Sustainability is one of the focus of the project, from its whole until the details, using components and techniques that allow to minimize the energetic impact of the structure, in line with the general philosophy of minimal manipulation of the site. Circulation and paths are organized in two rings that following the natural course of rocks, vegetation and slopes of the area bring people to the different edifices.
Routes are pedestrian and with a natural connotation, but designed to allow the possible intervention of rescue vehicles. The first buildings located at the entrance of the site have been assigned to receptional and commercial functions: an info-point, a small market shop selling gifts and useful objects for the exploration of the site and the hotel reception find their place in this area, using the ancient existing edifices. Then the path brings directly to the library, composed mainly by two great existing volumes that will host the main functions and a smaller one destined to a cafeteria.
This choice has been adopted in reason of having this university pole as close as possible to the entrance, so that people coming here to borrow books, to have lessons or to study won’t have to trek to arrive to their destination. The restaurant, the events space and a SPA occupy edifices in the heart of the site: in this way is possible for all kind of guests and visitors to reach them easily.
The museum is instead situated in the north-east area in the big battery volume: here permanent and temporary exhibitions can take place, using both inside and outside spaces. All these functions have been fitted in the existing buildings, to let the panorama and the whole site maintain as much as possible its original configuration; their restoration also has been thought in a conservative way, keeping originary shapes and volumes but using different materials that still respect colours and elements of the place, like corten, wood and glass.
The hotel’s rooms are the only new constructions on the site: a diffused system, that guarantee privacy to guests and at the same time soft impact on the site. Small wooden structures, spread in the nature, characterized by minimal but comfy interiors divided in sleeping area and restrooms and patios outside, that emphasize the osmotic relationship between inside and outside, letting people have an intense experience of the place.
