Restoration as continuity

Set on the edge of L’Aquila, the Cartiera del Vetoio stands as a rare fragment of industrial heritage, where architecture and water infrastructure form a single organism. The intervention begins from a simple principle: do not replace—reveal. The building is treated as a living archive of proportions, textures, and functional traces, and the project works to protect these elements while making the complex safe, efficient, and usable again.

The restoration strategy is intentionally measured. No volumetric additions, no changes to the overall silhouette: the work focuses on safeguarding the existing fabric and reinforcing what time and seismic events weakened, maintaining typological and formal values through materials and finishes consistent with local tradition.

Inside, the adaptive reuse reactivates the site’s commercial vocation through a clear functional arrangement: kitchen and technical spaces in the semi-basement, a restaurant hall with bar and public services at ground level, and an upper floor dedicated to catering / conference functions and staff areas—allowing the historic volumes to host contemporary uses without forcing the architecture into an artificial new identity.

A key theme is the relationship with water. The project addresses the building’s most fragile boundary—zones in contact with the lake—through waterproofing and protection systems designed for durability. At the same time, the historic capture mechanisms (pipes, gates and technical components) are restored where possible and replaced only where necessary, so the hydraulic memory of the place remains legible and functional. Works extend beyond the building itself to the lake barrier, where urgent maintenance and consolidation were required to mitigate infiltrations and restore long-term stability.

Technology is introduced as a discreet layer—present, but never dominant. The electrical and grounding systems are fully renewed to current standards; plumbing lines are reconstructed with reliable, maintainable solutions; and climate comfort is achieved through an efficient system combining underfloor heating across most areas with fan-coils in larger rooms. The overall strategy is supported by a geothermal heat-pump logic placed at basement level, designed to leverage the lake’s stable water temperature to improve performance and comfort.

Accessibility is treated as part of the architectural ethic: thresholds are controlled, level differences are resolved with a ramp to reach accessible facilities, and vertical access is supported through a stairlift solution—so the restored building can welcome all users with dignity, without compromising its historic character.

The result is not a “new” building, but a reactivated one: a careful balance between conservation and performance, where structure, water, and light are restored to clarity—allowing the Cartiera to continue its story in the present.