The winning ideas of CTRL+Space's Venice Re-Creation Center competition

In CTRL+Space's Re-Creation Center competition, architects worldwide had to envision a Cultural Building Refurbishment that can revive and benefit the Lido Island community in Venice, Italy. In putting together their submissions, entrants had to consider significant questions regarding adaptability, long-term duration, and innovative intervention strategies that can best benefit residents.

The jury picked the entries that they considered to have the most potentially effective solutions, while addressing other relevant issues in addition to the prompt. After careful deliberation, the jury selected three prize winners and five honorable mentions.

Have a look at the winning ideas below.

1st place: “What crawls after the dusk?” by Marcin Kitala and Zygmunt Maniaczyk | Czestochowa, Poland

Project description:

“We will not revitalize the complex. We will not renew buildings or restore their former glory. We do not refresh the plaster or repaint the walls. […] We will not do it like everybody does. Since buildings fell into ruin, apparently it had to happen. We do not stand in front of the dilemma of whether to renew them according to the original design or take into account subsequent changes. We do not apply any anastylosis or restore original details of cornices or handles. We will build right next to them, and certainly we will not refer to them. And we leave them to themselves. And even we help them in their fall. We will, however, continue to use them. Through one summer or two, let this be a unique event. This kind lasts longer in the memory. The basis for the whole development of the space is to create an enclave, in which the dominant role will act, created by man, "wild" Jungle. […] The old buildings are demolished, but not quietly and without reason, but in the spotlight and during the time of the

Performance announced for this purpose. Each will have Its role, and each one will disappear during one Performance. […] The rule of Variety is at the center of the composition: variety of routes, variety of places, variety of functions, sights, materials, windows and forms. The volumetric composition of the block provides for a fragmentation of the main shape into smaller, the overall size respects the alignments of the historic fabric; at the same time is introduced and promoted the principle of variety: the fragmentation of the quarter in individual gathering buildings breaks the monotony and the heaviness of a too large and trivial block.”

2nd place: “Spiritosa Invenzione” by Stefano Gariglio, Matilde Mellini, Matteo Pallaoro and Alberto De Giovanni, from Atelier Lapis | Mendrisio, Switzerland

Project description: “Despite the decentralized location the new artistic centre is capable of offering a unique cultural and polyhedral service of education and leisure, multidisciplinary workshops and spaces for performances where citizens, performers, spectators will be involved in the creation process themselves. Being quite close to the city centre, it will be a model of reconversion that saves an area fated to be abandoned otherwise. Other sites in the lagoon likely to be reconverted will follow the same strategy, triggering an increasing process of re-evaluation and exploitation of neglected areas. The historical resources with their values are carefully analyzed leading to the decision not to alter the aspect of the buildings. We intend a project sustainable as a respectful approach towards the historical values of a place. Memory preservation and identity enrichment will work together to disclose hidden qualities of the site. The target of the reconversion must only not respond to today’s needs, but should re-launch the existing in a strategic plan for the next decades.”

3rd place: “Third Life” by Clement Ringot | Tournai, Belgium

Project description: “To give a new purpose to the Ospedale Al Mare, one has to take in consideration its previous states, both the architectural ensemble as it was designed, and the state of abandonment where nature ruled once again. It is not a tabula rasa, nor a mere refurbishment: it’s the ensemble’s third life and should be treated as such. Therefore the project consists of another occupation. An occupation that adds up to what already exists. The building is indeed part of the stage where a new scenery is added, and the former lives have as much importance to the story than the new one. The Ospedale Al Mare was once a marvelous ensemble, and the period of abandonment it suffers added to its identity, making it more complex. The project is a way of staging this incredible scenery. Entering Ospedale Al Mare is entering a theater, that is both staged and staging.”

All images courtesy of CTRL Space.

Check out the honorable mentions in the image gallery below.