Artificial stone in architecture: new restoration techniques of intervention in the Utveggio castle in Palermo

Abstract

In the particular field of the protection, conservation and valorization of Cultural Heritage, there are many scientific and technological advances implemented through financed projects between research institutions, universities and specializing companies in this area. On an operational level, to make this renewal effective, it is necessary to promote the formation of interdisciplinary teams of different professional skills, and to carry out tests and define methodologies and protocols. This study investigates these themes, focusing on the historic building “Grand Hotel Utveggio Castle”, which, by virtue of its chosen location and intended use, is exceptional for its technical and construction aspects and presents distinctive characteristics of place identity deeply connected with the city of Palermo. The project of knowledge and conservation aimed at acquiring and gaining experimental data, is directed at finding intervention methods for philological recovery, respecting the existing materials, preserving the dimensions of the structural parts and identifying the physical-mechanical compatibility between the historical materials and those of new generation.

Keywords

• artificial stone
• diagnosis of deterioration
• new intervention methodologies
• interdisciplinary research