Sustainable transformation for the city: the conversion of large abandoned commercial spaces

The analysis and visions of the students of the workshop "Town centre pathways" on the city of Celle provided an opportunity to reflect on the built heritage that constitutes our cities. The historic centre of Celle is characterized by traditional architecture with typical half-timbered houses; however, the regularity of this architectural style is occasionally interrupted by contemporary interventions, necessary to respond to the needs developed by the city in recent decades. An example is the Galeria Kauhfhof in Celle, but the model of super shopping galleries is no longer suitable for our time and the Covid crisis and technological advancement have led to a rapid abandonment of some of these buildings. This type of reflection can also be extended to similar Italian contexts, as in the case of the Ex-Sima Gallery in Jesi, in the Marche region. Large disused commercial spaces can be classified as "dissonant heritage": they are the main cause of the closure of retail businesses, and above all they have encouraged a consumption model that is not sustainable from an ecological point of view. Local governments must consider the need for communities to reclaim these spaces, which no longer meet the needs of consumers. The design challenge is to transform these "non-places" into new nodal points in the urban context, changing their perception and increasing their sense of acceptance by the community with an innovative and sustainable approach that favours a reconversion of these spaces, transforming them into places capable of strengthening identity and promoting development.