La Molinella is located between Via Giardini and the Modena–Sassuolo railway line. The project explores the relationship between permanence and transformation, anchoring itself in a strategically important area of Formigine’s urban fabric, rich in historical, social, and morphological layers.
Originally developed in the late 19th century, La Molinella is a residential complex that grew around a 17th-century watermill. The development aimed to house the mill's workers. The name "Molinella" specifically refers to the modest and functional group of buildings built next to the mill. These structures recall the legacy of labor and the territory. Today, the contemporary project doesn’t erase or replace this memory. Instead, it interprets it architecturally, establishing an active dialogue with the past.
The exposed brick wall becomes the cornerstone of this dialogue with the past. Rebuilt on the exact footprint of the original structure using the same historical bricks, it restores the physical and symbolic presence of what once stood there. The original window and door openings were carefully reinstated, reviving the façade’s historical rhythm. To affirm the project’s identity with respectful gestures, two symbolic elements were returned to their original positions: the original stone plaque engraved with “Molinella” and a votive niche containing a statue of the Virgin Mary.
Beyond its symbolic value, the wall also performs crucial technical roles. It preserves the historic street alignment along Via Giardini, acts as a sound barrier to reduce traffic noise, and defines a protected interstitial space for the balconies of the new housing units. This buffer zone creates a threshold between public and private, and between old and new.
Behind the wall, three residential volumes unfold, reinterpreting the original complex’s layout. Formally, the rough texture of brick contrasts with the clean geometry of housing volumes. Red-painted metal elements used for balconies and staircases echo the local vernacular of agriculture and rural architecture. The choice of this particular red does not serve decoration, but instead ties the new construction into its historical and visual context.
From a construction perspective, the buildings are made with XLAM, a sustainable material that allows fast assembly and ensures high energy performance. Both structural and non-structural components were dry-mounted, a technique that minimizes environmental impact and allows future modifications. This method also enables flexible layouts and provides excellent thermal and acoustic insulation. The buildings run entirely on electricity, powered by photovoltaic panels and energy storage systems, while layered insulation systems and high-performance windows ensure interior comfort. The choice of timber for the primary structure, combined with metal frameworks for balconies and staircases, reflects the desire to build an architecture that is light, reversible, and sustainable.
Attention to material reuse also plays a central role in the project, both ethically and aesthetically: the terracotta tiles from the old floor slabs were recovered and reused in sidewalks and balconies, establishing a tactile link with the building's past and creating a surface narrative that bridges different historical layers. This design approach makes the project not only materially sustainable, but also an act of continuity, where the old is adapted, and the stratification of time is embraced as an irreplaceable part of the site's identity.
Lastly, the theme of memory and architectural continuity is the deepest key to understanding the architectural project: a contemporary residential complex that enters into meaningful dialogue with the material and immaterial heritage of its context.
