The project site is located northwest of the city, in a highly visible position at the intersection of major arterial roads on a broad territorial scale and slow-mobility routes serving residential areas. This strategic location naturally positions it as both a connector and an attractor of urban flows. Developed in collaboration with architect Benedetto Camerana, the project addresses the challenge of repurposing disused industrial sites—not only to redefine a more competitive productive framework in relation to the global market, but also to ensure an architectural process that integrates new spatial and technological requirements with buildings that currently appear as empty shells devoid of meaning. The ultimate goal is to transform the building from an ‘immobilized’ resource, whose preservation over time is a necessity, into a strategic tool for value creation.

On these premises, the ADA project was conceived—a process that immediately engaged us in exploring the development potential of the area, supported by field research to identify prospective tenants interested in being involved. The new spatial functions we have defined are primarily dedicated to productive uses, alongside commercial, recreational, residential, and educational activities. In line with the requirements and directives of the Municipality of Novara, the area will also host a newly constructed Civic Center, designed as a multifunctional space for the city.
Once the spatial functions had been identified, we initiated the design of the masterplan, focusing first on urban planning aspects while simultaneously considering the architectural and functional design of the buildings.
Recognizing the site’s role as a natural connector between residential neighborhoods and service areas, the project seeks to strengthen the system of public spaces and connections through a systematic approach to accessibility and circulation. The aim is not only to integrate the different modes of mobility, but also to spatially anchor the site to its surrounding context. To this end, the wall enclosing the entire area will be demolished, allowing the blind and secondary façades facing the perimeter streets to be replaced with open frontages onto large social spaces directly engaging with the buildings themselves.

The system of pathways and internal public spaces within the site is organized around a large plaza to the east, serving a public and representative function, and a green space to the west, adjacent to the Civic Center, offering a more intimate setting connected to neighborhood services. The area combines ease of access with environmental comfort elements, making it ideal for events such as exhibitions and fairs.
In the southeast corner of the site, directly facing Corso della Vittoria, a green area dedicated to the ‘essences of paper’ is planned. This space functions both as a buffer between the plaza and the street, and as a symbolic expression of the philosophy guiding the site’s transformation—linking the recovery of productive memory with an eco-sustainable approach and environmental enhancement.
A fundamental premise of the project is the demolition of existing structures to free up the area and expand public space. The volumes removed are then reshaped and redistributed functionally within the lot: the built forms act as a backdrop and demarcation of space, guiding its use and experience through the articulation of heights, voids, and solids.

Only those buildings with intrinsic documentary value—both historical and physical—are preserved in the project. This includes structures with high functional and architectural quality, in particular the office building and the two main production facilities. Similarly, the northern warehouses are being repurposed to house service installations for the intervention. The former bookbinding building will be elevated with a new superimposed volume, becoming the focal point of the area.
The new constructions align with the footprint of the preserved buildings, creating continuous façades. Specifically, the new building, which houses the Civic Center, completes the western and eastern fronts of the main square and the green space, respectively, while the parking silos complete the northwest front, adjacent to the former printing house.
The project envisions a space where the technical and artificial language of the polycarbonate façades interacts with lush vegetation and the sky, creating a landscape full of suggestive qualities, whose volumes merge with the atmosphere and evoke the play of light on flooded rice fields.