When adapting a former industrial building for a different use, architects can take any number of approaches, ranging from the near-complete obliteration of the original structure to the insertion of new volumes within its unaltered envelope. The former tactic might aim to soften the building?s cold, raw materiality so that it feels more welcoming, but the latter celebrates the innate character of industrial design and preserves its history. More often than not, a balance is achieved between the two. In the case of “Shed #19,” renovated by Andrea Oliva Architetto, a forgotten part of an Italian city?s past has been restored to prominence with a nuanced, sensitive understanding of its connection to the present.

Reggio Emilia is a landlocked city in northern Italy best known for producing Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, with an agricultural history that spans many centuries. The town’s industrial traditions are newer but no less significant, beginning in 1901 when the Italian aircraft manufacturer Officine Meccaniche Reggiane chose it as the setting for a new plant to produce locomotives, and later, weaponry for World War I. Over the decades, it grew into a massive war aircraft operation, employing up to 11,000 people through the end of World War II. It was only in the 1950s that the company’s operations dramatically dropped off. As the company shrank, the entire area fell into disrepair. The factory finally closed in the year 2000.
?In order to recover...