INTEGRATED
ENGINEERING
AND ARCHITECTURE

Piazza Santa Maria di Castello is located at the heart of Borgo Rovereto, which remains the oldest district in the city of Alessandria. For centuries, the neighbourhood, centred around the religious complex of Santa Maria di Castello, experienced significant abandonment and physical degradation, and this decline hindered its natural role as a communal gathering place. Interest in this urban area was the subject of a discussion with the Director of the Historical Archives of Alessandria, leading to a joint analysis of its proposed reinterpretations. This analysis began with Giuseppe Caselli's road rectification proposal of 1780 and incorporated insights from existing historical maps. The primary objective of the project was to outline the key elements necessary for the physical redevelopment and functional revitalisation of the area. This involved an integrated series of interventions aimed at creating a new spatial configuration and identifying improvement solutions for the existing buildings. The central element that dictated the square's redesign was the longitudinal axis running along the Southwest-Northeast route. This axis serves as a historical reference to the road layout from the eighteenth century and, even before that, as a demarcation line separating the buildings that once occupied the current square. This axis, which defines the new project geometries and serves as the visual focal point of the entire square starting from its connection with Via Milazzo, acts as an organising element. It separates the historical section associated with the Church from a neglected, unused area that is now subject to reinterpretation. Particularly from a participatory design perspective, this project not only involves a comprehensive planimetric review of the entire area, but also addresses the accessibility and adaptability of the buildings. The aim is to ensure access to common areas, with the ambitious goal of creating a "new" urban space that is adaptable and flexible to accommodate social, religious, and cultural events.