Historical character vs performance adaptability: case study of the church Autostrada del Sole

Abstract

The need to “renew” the historical building heritage and, therefore, the possibility of introducing innovative technologies and components capable of ensuring its optimal performance pose the difficult question of assessing whether technological intervention for sustainable performance adaptability should be considered a “threat,” while acknowledging that it efficiently helps to safeguard an existing historical building in the long-term and to preserve its cultural value over time.  This article presents the case study for the diagnostics, evaluation and maintenance of the Church of S. Giovanni Battista in Florence, designed by G. Michelucci after the catastrophic event of 2015 that partly destroyed its roof.