Can an industrial area deep in nature be recovered? This may not come as a surprise if the area was located in a city scenario, but it leaves a general curiosity when it comes up that the renewal regards an unusual location – Cartiera Binda in Vaprio d’Adda – and that the new project is not only about buildings, but mainly about culture. The old factory, now dismissed, comes back to life thanks to the intervention designed by architects along with public and private institutions who want to give a new life to this area, rich in industrial charm, with an eclectic dress.

This will be a culture island where people can live, think, eat, share their time, give a start to commercial activities and use local resources. The ideal place to build a net of social relations and adopt a common moral code minimising costs and energy wastage.

The project includes both the restoration of areas with the highest historical importance and the renewal of other parts to allow the creation of bicycle paths – with the aim of reducing CO2 emissions. The project is a result of many proposals from students of the “Politecnico di Milano” and feasibility studies from the best professionals in the architecture field. The centre of these proposals is the strong link between nature, culture and community, which this area fully embodies. The study has promoted meetings, exhibitions and events to offer a preview of what the Cartiera will become in the near future: a cultural centre where it is possible to have a lifestyle with deep social values that – just like buildings – need to be restored.