Criteria and guidelines about structural reversibility for reinforced concrete historical buildings refurbishment. The Excelsior Cinema in Milan (1926–30)

The refurbishment of twentieth-century buildings has given rise to lively discussions both at a national and international level over the past 20 years. Such discussions have suggested the opportunity of working on the aforesaid buildings, enhancing what they could afford from a cultural, economic and environmental point of view. Furthermore, underlining how the scope of viable restoration projects is getting wider and wider when compared with the ones targeting pre-industrial buildings. Restoring and refurbishment reinforced-concrete buildings require a different approach from brickwork ones, in order to take into account their different building features and structural behaviour. This has led to setting down specific working guidelines that anyway need to be supported by more adaptable project-related solutions allowing their refurbishment, even as regards their structural reversibility. The refurbishment of the former Excelsior Cinema (1926–30) in Milan presents the features of an operational experiment concerning finding project-related and technical solutions allowing a correct interface between new spaces and existing volumes, even as far as relevant refurbishment of the buildings is concerned. This has made a thorough analysis of the building even more necessary. Furthermore, an experiment has been made regarding a weight-bearing capital enabling the new structures to work together with the existing ones.