Anna Giulia Reineke
COLONIA, NON SOLO ESTATE

Reuse of holiday infrastructure on the Riviera Romagnola

The COLONIA NOVARESE is part of a network of summer holiday camps for children conceived initially under the fascist regime to grant access to the seaside to all children. Only on the ardriatic coast more than 200 buildings were constructed, many of them are still standing, most abandoned.
The long-time abandoned rationalist building inbetween the mass tourism destinations Rimini and Riccione stands as a modern ruin of the tourism industry. Almost 100 years old, aban- doned since the 1970’s the structure tells the story of multiple adaptations to changing uses and to damage and decay that occurred over time. In a hyper infrastructured area, sa- turated by tourism activities and services the new program of a center of leisure and cultural production addresses the residents of the urbanized coastline also responding to the fluctuation of population between Summer and Winter season.

Independent entrances for the different functions, reduced heated areas, generous buffer zones and movable partitions allow to open up large areas to host different activities. A modular system, loose furniture and minimal functional infrastructure involve the users into modification to create different spatial conformations. By Breaking up the core area of the building to its primary structure and opening the ground floor its institutional symmetry is loosened into a series of entrances and possibilities to cross the building - from the beach to the garden.

An unprogrammed and low maintenance garden and “Pineta” offer Shade, Rest and Encounter. While the proliferation of the existing vegetation into the core circulation area emphasizes the history of abandonment and decay the two wings of the building are teeming with people and activities. A live painting class from the roof, the exhibition of a local artist, a cooking session after a day surfing, a full house festival with camping in the Pine tree garden.