Florence Fortezza da Basso Pavilions

The Fortezza da Basso is an impressive modern fortification built in 1500 by Sangallo on behalf of de' Medici family. The project is carefully inserted within this impressive historicized venue where, in interlocking spaces, pavilions built in different eras find their place, today requiring intervention to enhance the architecture and respect the history of the Asset.

The project for the Machiavelli and Cavaniglia pavilions is a key element in achieving the regeneration and restoration goals stated in the Fortezza da Basso Recovery Plan: on the one hand the restoration of the curtain walls and ramparts, and on the other the construction of new pavilions and the restoration of historic architecture. The fil rouge linking the interventions is the recovery of the original "wall system" and the restoration of the patrol walkway.

The renovation project of the Machiavelli Pavilion will re-functionalize the over 3,000 sqm surface area, integrating the requirements shared by the City of Florence and the Firenze Fiera. It is in fact an intervention of preservation and regeneration of the Fortezza complex hub that will distribute visitors from the InfoPoint to the pavilions, welcoming them at the beginning of the exhibition route.

Office space and meeting rooms will be located on the upper floors. The design was developed by providing for the renovation of architecture, upgrading of facilities and removal of architectural barriers, as well as the creation of appropriate spaces for foyer, ticket office, offices, and multipurpose rooms.

The project will then continue with the construction of the new Cavaniglia Pavilion and the creation of a pedestrian path along the walls to restore the original perception of the Fortress.

The design for the new Cavaniglia pavilion retraces the provisions in the Municipality's recovery plan, which, aiming at rehabilitating the Fortezza da Basso, offers a new use of the Asset. The original patrol paths are thus rediscovered and reinterpreted, enhancing the ancient walls and ramparts. The redevelopment, in fact, includes the creation of a pedestrian path suspended along the perimeter of the walls that will give visitors back the view and perception that people had of the Fortress at the time of its original use.

The roof of the new Cavaniglia Pavilion will become an elevated green area, where public events can also be held. The project will give back to the city several free areas, unused marginal spaces, stitching them into a coherent space with archaeological references of great interest.

The new pavilion will also be a jewel of modern engineering: a single span exceeding 22 meters, built with bridge beams designed to house a roof garden in the extrados, capable of accommodating large tree essences, that on the one hand can capture the CO₂ emitted into the environment and on the other hand will create a microclimate for optimizing heat exchange, with resulting reduction in energy consumption.

The design aims to restore the original patrol paths, reinterpreted in order to enhance the ancient walls and ramparts of the entire complex. The redevelopment includes the creation of a pedestrian pathway suspended along the perimeter of the walls that will restore for visitors the view and perception of the Fortress at the time of its original use. The  new Cavaniglia Pavilion roof will be turned into an elevated green area to host public events.