Baratti, Casa Esagono will be restored: work to begin in late summer. It will return to its original appearance

The Casa Es agono in Baratti, the vacation home of architect Vittorio Giorgini (Florence, 1926 - 2010), among the protagonists of post-World War II Florentine culture, will be restored and refunctionalized: it will return to its original appearance with expanded possibilities for use. The Hexagonal House was built by Giorgini in 1957 and is an early example of a modular structure; its name comes from its very structure, shaped like a hexagon. It is raised from the ground by wooden pylons so as to insulate it thermally and protect it from moisture. The wooden architectural work of hexagonal modules, suspended among the trees, was the Florentine architect’s summer residence until 1969, and artists and intellectuals, such as Robert Sebastian Matta and Gordon Matta Clark, André Bloc, Emilio Villa, Isamu Noguchi, Aurelio Ceccarelli, and Emilio Vedova, met here. It is among the most significant architecture of the second half of the 20th century.

In 2021, the Municipality of Piombino had participated in the call for bids “Interventi di riqualificazione del patrimonio storico e di pregio degli enti locali toscani” (Interventions for the redevelopment of the historical and valuable heritage of Tuscan local authorities) issued by the Region of Tuscany; it had been admitted to the grant, ranking fourth among the thirty-two interventions admitted. An achievement that was the result of collaboration between the Municipality of Piombino, the B.A.Co. Archivio Vittorio Giorgini Association and DESTEC (Department of Energy Engineering of Land and Construction Systems) of the University of Pisa. The executive project for the restoration, consolidation and redevelopment of Casa Esagono in Baratti is being carried out by Catalani Del Francia Studio. Work will begin in late summer.

“A great satisfaction,” comment Mayor Francesco Ferrari and Marco Vita, alderman for Public Works, “considering the strong expectation that was created at the time around the call for bids and the amount of applications received in the Region. Our project, moreover, is the only one awarded aimed at a contemporary architecture, showing how difficult it is still to consider a modern work as a cultural asset. Being fourth in the rankings confirms the high quality of the design submitted, which is a testament to the strong interest we are devoting to the enhancement of the cultural heritage of the area, especially those in need of care such as Casa Esagono.”

“Given the particularity of the work, we will try to build an ’open yard’ for the entire period of the restoration work, building in the territory moments of in-depth study on Casa Esagono, the construction techniques used, its author and, of course, the restoration project, involving reference institutions such as MIC, ICOMOS and Do.Co.Mo.Mo,” said Marco Del Francia, president of B.A.Co. Archivio Vittorio Giorgini, which has been managing Casa Esagono since 2013.

“The project,” explained Denise Ulivieri, coordinator for the Department of Energy Engineering of Territorial and Construction Systems at the University of Pisa, “stems from a Master’s thesis in Building Engineering-Architecture, entitled Casa Esagono by Vittorio Giorgini in Baratti (LI): analysis of the state of conservation and definition of strategies for restoration with H-BIM applications. The study was conducted by Cristina Pardini, under the guidance of Marco Giorgio Bevilacqua, Stefania Landi, Massimiliano Martino and the advice of Marco Del Francia. ”The punctual and meticulous research carried out by Pardini, after a careful analysis of the current state of conservation of this artifact, has allowed the development of a targeted intervention design strategy for its recovery," she concluded.

In addition to the restoration and consolidation, which includes the replacement of parts or elements that can no longer be recovered, and the restoration of those that have deteriorated, thanks to the documentation preserved in the Archives, the reconstruction in some rooms of the original furnishings is planned, so as to expand the capacity for use, with residences for artists and scholars that can be used throughout the year.

Baratti, Casa Esagono will be restored: work to begin in late summer. It will return to its original appearance

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