Recovery and Enhancement of Modern Architectures: The Case of Cinema Ariston in Potenza (Italy)

The architectural heritage of the modern is in addiction with the historical and cultural heritage that are the “beauty” of Italy. The starting point of this research is to reuse an area of the historic city centre of Potenza and to recover an historical architecture abandoned: the Cinema Ariston. It is built in the 50s of 900s, and it is a significant example of modern concrete architecture in the town. The original function of cinema includes it in those buildings that have marked the history of the town and today cannot be deleted from the memories of all citizens and it should be enhanced as a central element for the renovation. An accurate metric and metric survey and a diagnostic investigation (including pachometer, sonic and ultrasonic tests) have been carried out to define the project. The results obtained were used to implement an analytical model for the study of the seismic vulnerability and to define the conservation interventions and structural rehabilitation. The recovery project includes also a new construction and proposes the recompletion of the existing, partially demolished, through new elements and modern materials. The policy adopted for conservation and the new intended use ensure a future for the Cinema Ariston and the urban space connected to it; the aim was to perpetuate social and historical memories of buildings that have no particular values for the preservation, but retain other important values to be transmit. Keywords