Competition of ideas. Candidate project
The MANI_FUTURA Project, with its programmatic, distributive, and functional organization, due to the complexity of the objectives set by the competition, necessitated an intervention logic that is respectful of the existing structures while being guided by the urban role that the former Tobacco Factory (Manifattura dei Tabacchi) has played over time and is called upon to play in the future. Following the historical trajectory of this site, whose foundational settlement principle determined the development of the Libertà district in Bari, several new volumes have been integrated, engaging with the distribution logic of the existing building. Even while introducing large openings towards the outside, which reformulate the role of a closed enclave, detached from the surrounding neighborhood, the inherent tendency of the complex to establish new social conditions and uses in its surroundings has been preserved. The removal of incongruous additions has freed up space for the installation of a multi-story automated parking lot along the frontage closest to the city center. The open courtyards, connected to the restored and repurposed interior spaces, have become public areas for interaction and social engagement for the new users.