BIELLA – WOOL CITY

International urban planning competition.
THIRD PRIZE
Urban strategy for the re-use of a former hospital site with monumental buildings.
Program: Textile Museum, Textile Innovation Center, incubator, housing for starters, retail, offices, hotel with wellnesscenter and congressfacilities, parking garage and landscape design.
Total floor area: 35.000 sqm.
Location: Biella, Italy.
Year: 2013.

The brief asked for a complete re-thinking of the former structure of the hospital, currently relocated in the outskirts of the city. The total floor area includes 35.000 sqm of vacant space. The heterogeneous and chaotic complex includes some prestigious buildings from the forties and a massive slab from the sixties with a very high landscape potential.
NAUTA’s proposal extends the existing social pattern of the small city by adding students, researchers, entrepreneur starters, tourists, workers and boosts the economical power of the province, historical leader in the Italian textile market. Biella plays as well a pivot role in the tourism of the region, being close to the Alps and several skiing locations.
NAUTA’s strategy transforms the hospital into a new pole of excellence for International textile trading and research, students accommodation, incubator for textile and fashion entrepreneurs and a new hotel-wellness center, capable to complete the offer for the new international market, yet promote the local beauties and traditions.