The carmine maggiore bell tower: An inclusive and sustainable restoration experience

Abstract

The preservation of cultural heritage needs a restoration design format that can only be achievable by an in-depth multidisciplinary approach. Besides, a sustainable project requires that the link between architecture and technology be expressed through a “conscious” approach to the building. Therefore, each design must be based on the in-depth knowledge of history, construction rules, and mechanical properties of buildings to be restored. The bell towers are among the most exposed to degradation and earthquake damage constructions for their intrinsic geometry and structure. The “Carmine Maggiore” bell tower is one of the most important symbols of Naples (Italy) and, at 72 m high, it has stood out for centuries against the city. The tower underwent many significant damages and structural changes over time. The design, here illustrated, was aimed at restoring and repairing this bell tower, preserving existing materials, without altering the signs of time. The paper shows the methodology followed in the project, which, starting from an in-depth historical analysis and a detailed geometric and diagnostic survey, through several structural analyses, allowed an “inclusive” project (restoration, structural, and lighting project) based on suitable solutions that meet all the requirements of compatibility, sustainability, and structural safety.