A monograph about the Turin architectural studio of Baietto Battiato and Bianco, pupils of Gabetti & Isola. Poised between 'the new' and 'the old', they specialize in well-balanced projects which focus on the conversion and exploitation of old sites for contemporary purposes.
Armando Baietto, Sebastiano Battiato and Beppe Bianco (all born in Turin in 1960) graduated in 1985 with a thesis about the restoration of Porta Palatina, an area in the old centre of the city of the House of Savoy. Typically, the independent activities of the studio – founded in the late ‘eighties with a project to convert the two wings of Valentino Castle into a Central Library for the Architecture Faculty – tend to focus on recurring projects to conserve and convert existing buildings. They have worked on conversions of industrial complexes-like the former Maglificio Calzifico Torinese (a knitwear and hosiery factory – the Basic Village, 2001-2002) and the former Colongo woolen mill (now the Cineporto of the Torino Piemonte Film Commission, 2002-08), both of which are located in Turin; but also restoration and additions to existing buildings – such as the restoration of the former Vische Castle (2005-2008), the Relais Rocca Civalieri at Quattordio, Alessandria (2009) and the International School of Turin in Chieri (2010). In these and other projects, the team has shown a well-balanced attitude, keeping actual conversion to a minimum and often employing the materials and building techniques typically used in the 19th and 20th centuries. At the same time, the originality and recognisability of their new buildings makes it possible to include them in the more wide-ranging scenario of the architectural work of Baietto Battiato Bianco, since they are the expression of the unitary line of research which typifies their work.