The following proposal is for the expansion of ‘Conservatorio di Matera’, Matera’s music Conservatoire. The new ‘Instituto Casalnuovo campus provides a 480-seat concert hall and doubles the school’s current student capacity. The current music establishment lacks the facilities for coping with a continually increasing number of student applications. The school expansion offers valuable staff positions and educational facilities at a crucial time. Due to a lack of opportunity, Matera is suffering from high rates of unemployment and depopulation, especially of its younger generations.
Matera History - From 'Shame of Italy' to UNESCO Site
The Quinta - A Historical and Lasting Urban Devision.
The city has become a tourist enclave that is drained of life outside of tourist season. The site has been museumified and does not portray much of the former inhabitant’s life such as the site’s agricultural heritage. The divide between both parts of the city is physically marked by a wall of buildings called the Quinta.
Instituto Casalnuovo Proposal
The Instituto Casalnuovo proposal engages with the current local government efforts to move away from tourism and re-purpose the troglodyte settlement in more meaningful ways. The proposal helps revive the neighbourhood through the celebration of the existing and growing music culture and encourages the re-engagement of locals with the neighbourhood.
