Weaving Spaces: A Multifunctional Centre In Valle Miano, Ancona, Italy That Transforms Urban Margins Into Places Of Social Interaction And Exchange | Architecture Thesis

Site Context

The project is situated in the Valeriano district, specifically within the site of the former tobacco factory—currently a peripheral but potentially pivotal area for Ancona. The design is grounded in a thorough analysis of the urban, geographical, and infrastructural framework. A key element—the railway, which currently acts as a barrier—is reimagined as a catalyst for reconnection. 

The proposed program includes a sports complex (featuring a swimming pool, gym, and both indoor and outdoor courts), a cultural hub (with a theatre, library, rehearsal spaces, and exhibition areas), dining venues, both indoor and outdoor plazas, along with parking and intermodal transport facilities. The entire structure is conceived as an “inhabited bridge,” a multifunctional infrastructure that unifies diverse uses while serving as a new civic landmark for contemporary urban life.

Design Process

The project emerged from a detailed study of the urban and natural landscape of Valle Miano, along with an analysis of the city’s planning frameworks. The initial stage focused on mapping urban edges, vacant spaces, and existing regulatory patterns. This research led to the development of the concept of the “active void” as a tool for urban regeneration.

The design integrates infrastructural, architectural, and environmental strategies, with the bridge-structure adapting to the terrain and creating new links between neighborhoods. The approach blends a compositional design method with urban awareness, transforming the site’s challenges and potentials into architectural form.

Final Outcome

The inhabited bridge is conceived not merely as a building, but as a catalyst for urban transformation and collective imagination. By stitching together fragmented geographies, it redefines the Valle Miano neighborhood as a place of connection, inclusivity, and environmental consciousness. This project serves as a model for the wider revitalization of Ancona’s outskirts, demonstrating how unused spaces and infrastructural remnants can be reimagined as vibrant civic environments.

With its multi-layered spatial design—at once connective, permeable, and symbolic—the structure fosters new ways for the local community to engage with the space. It encourages informal activities, intergenerational dialogue, and daily social interaction. Positioned as a threshold between the urban fabric and the surrounding landscape, the building is conceived to be adaptable over time, capable of responding to evolving needs and supporting the emergence of spontaneous urban life.

Weaving Spaces imagines a future where architecture enhances the social, ecological, and cultural value of space, rather than merely occupying it. The project seeks to trigger a change in urban thinking—one in which peripheral areas are reinterpreted as opportunities for renewal and growth, rather than as boundaries or ends.

Conclusion: The project redefines the role of architecture as a catalyst of urban regeneration, transforming a marginal site into a vibrant civic hub. By integrating infrastructure, landscape, and community-oriented functions, it proposes a new model for contemporary public space that is flexible, inclusive, and responsive to its context.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]