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Urban Heritage and Conserved Typologies

Heritage System

In response to the isolationist approach of identifying heritage adopted by UNESCO, as through their narrow delineation of Crespi d'Adda as an area of outstanding universal value, expert commentators (Borgarino et al., 2016) have called for a wider focus. Such an approach would recognise significant cross-fertilization of industrial heritage along the Adda and Brembo rivers, as illustrated below.

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Heritage system
Crossing

The Heritage Crossing

Two axes can be extracted from the urban form of Crespi d’Adda. One points from the southern village cemetery along the central avenue, Via Gaetano Donizetti, to the north; the other one starts from the front gate of the factory to the core of the central public landscape. The planning logics of regulating life to death, working to living are based largely on the two axes and the extended branches of them. With the authority centre, the family castle, and the religious centre, the church, located on each side of the North-south axis, the infrastructural centre, where the water tank, electricity distribution centre are located, sits on the central axis.

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Via Gaetano Donizetti

The industrial and residential quarters are bisected by street Via Gaetano Donizetti, that acts as a boundary between living and productive space. Either side is characterised by juxtaposing architecture, from endless open plan weaving sheds transitioning seamlessly to well adorned administrative blocks, to detached less regular tenements repainted and replastered (Paola et al., 2016) by private owners.

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Urban spine

Architectural Typologies

Functional efficiency must go hand in hand with beauty.

"The neo-Gothic is the predominant one, while the Renaissance style defines the appearance of the church and the neo-medieval one is evident in the structure of the villa-castle. To these buildings is added the mausoleum which is a construction with the less defined style."

Angelo Colla (1837-1891)

Ernesto Pirovano (1866-1934)

 Gaetano Moretti (1860-1938)

Pietro Brunati (1854-1933)

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Typologies

Universal Value?

Value

Using Chiesa di Crespi d'Adda as example, similar ornamental typologies have been identified through computer algorithm (Google Lens) and subsequently studied. Here, we find typologies such as the church lantern, the portal (threshold) and the loggia (outdoor corridor). This analysis shows that although these typologies differ in materiality depending on context, they retain identifiable morphology.

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Industry Heritage

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