Renaissance Rehab: cultured design meets excellent craftsmanship

The contribution proposes a survey of the urgent theme of the climate emergency and dwells on one of the most important factors identified by Alessandro Melis, curator of the Italian Pavilion at the 17th International Architecture Exhibition in Venice. The architect emphasizes the importance of associative thinking within the process of dissemination of a design sensitive to the needs of the planet. In this context it can be crucial, especially in Italy, to start again from the concept of heritage and (re)design objects, traditions and memories through a new awareness and an ethical sensibility. During the lockdown, many people have rediscovered the beauty of things and some designers have taken advantage of the period of forced slowdown to imagine new scenarios and propose (concretely) a new vision, able to enhance the potential of everyday objects. The reflection focuses on the evolution of the figure of the designer, recently investigated by Andrea Branzi in his The Big Book of Design. This thought is part of the "neo-design" trend that seems to be rooted in territorial geographies, recognizing the past as an important ally and focusing on the reinterpretation and enhancement of know-how (C. Gambardella, Handmade in Italy, p.106). Starting from these reflections, the second part of the paper investigates the Renaissance Rehab project, focusing on the (laudable) desire to put beauty back into circulation, promoting the reuse of objects through the study of the Made in Italy heritage.