Exploring the Reuse of Spaces Through Temporary Uses: The Case of the Exhibitions of the Hub for Heritage and Habitat Group

The article examines the transformative impact of temporary exhibitions organised by the Hub for Heritage and Habitat research group and how light processes of transformation can highlight the potential of spaces.

The exhibitions analysed concern the works of students from the Building Engineering-Architecture courses at the Polytechnic University of the Marche, typically focusing on the Marche Region.

We will analyse the “Cityscape” exhibitions, the title of the final exhibition held every July since 2013. The exhibition aims to share the results of UNIVPM students’ study courses with local administrations, industry professionals, and the public.

Architectural design courses focus on the recovery of existing building heritage and the redevelopment of peripheral urban areas. For this reason, these temporary exhibitions have always focused on marginal places, underused spaces, or those in a state of neglect.

The most recent exhibitions were set up between the municipalities of Ancona and Jesi. In 2019, for example, the Polveriera Castelfidardo was chosen, located in the heart of Ancona’s Cardeto Park, a recently renovated space rarely open to the public. In 2022, the venue was a warehouse within the Municipal Agricultural Consortium of Jesi. For the past two years, the exhibitions have been held at the staircase of the Caserma Villarey, a large, underused space, and the Chiesa del Gesù, in the heart of the historic centre of Ancona, which is open to the public only on a few occasions during the year.

By occupying these spaces with new interactive elements, users can recognise their unexploited potential: temporary exhibitions have turned a spotlight back on these places, making them more attractive and acting as catalysts for urban renewal.