The ‘Hybrid Hotel’ project involves the restoration and conservative renovation of a listed complex, located in the historic centre of Pisa, transforming it into an accommodation facility. The building consists of a 17th-century core originally intended as a noble residence overlooking a large garden at the rear, and is characterised by a remarkable spatial articulation as well as by the variety and richness of its finishes.
The project aims to open up the structure to the city, creating a hybrid and dynamic system of uses that develops new forms of social interaction, and aims to rejuvenate not only the building but also its broader context. The hotel’s functions will include co-working spaces, a coffee shop and event spaces, designed to foster new forms of urban community and will coexist with the more private accommodation spaces, responding also to the accommodation needs of a new generation of ‘digital nomads’ and users increasingly interested in fluid, integrated use of spaces and the city.
The architectural design envisions the building as a palimpsest: in this regard, the building serves as a foundation where its materials are left untouched, preserved for maximum reuse. The new functional systems, such as services and installations, are strategically placed onto these existing materials. The installations are largely left exposed to minimise impact on the existing masonry.
Therefore, the project, firstly, aims to restore and renovate the sites from the degradation and superfluous additions that have heavily compromised their spatiality over the years and, secondly, it introduces minimal interventions to facilitate the change of intended use and technological adaptation, that are clearly perceivable as separate elements.
This approach unifies all the different periods of the building’s history, blending he historical aspects with modern elements, mirroring the way historic Italian cities like Pisa have developed over time, with layers of construction and continuous reuse.