La ricerca per il progetto di restauro: linee guida per le superfici e approcci relazionali per l’architettura storica

The external surfaces of historic buildings constitute the physical elements of contact and ‘communication’ between the architectural structure and the exterior, establishing their image in the urban context. They also represent the ‘places’ of the building where the effects of weathering are condensed, as well as a record of the repeated actions of man who over the years transforms, maintains, and intervenes on his matter. Therefore, the intervention on architectural ‘surfaces’ belongs to the system of actions that must be elaborated and based on the definition of a significant historical-critical framework, that is required when working on the architectural heritage field. It is necessary to define an interpretative and analytical filter about a series of factors related to the building itself and to its relationship with the environmental context. An agreement between the Architecture Department of the University Federico II of Naples and the National Archaeological Museum of Naples has enabled the development of research with a concrete objective: the elaboration of guidelines for the restoration of the famous historical building façades, whose origins date back to the end of the 16th century, in the outside part of the viceroyal city walls. The following contribution proposes to express methods, objectives, and results of a research that, within the framework of the restoration principles, has considered the project for interventions on surfaces in the same way as an architectural restoration project, which also encourages a reflection on the specific skills requirements when intervening in a historical and multi-layered context.