"DAT La Colombara of Montorio" barracks is located in the countryside of Verona 5 kilometers from the historic center. The complex has the typical characteristics of a rural construction like brick and a tile roof covered by terracotta. For its strategic position, in 1944, during the 2nd World War, it was occupied and used as a place of detention for Jewish internees awaiting transfer to other destinations. Today the building is abandoned and in an advanced state of decay.
The aim of functional recovery consists of preserving the memory and the meaning of the building and creating a documentation center related to events of the Jews in transit in Verona, with educational purposes aimed at schools.
The design consists of addictions of wooden "boxes" inside the existing building, which will support the new roof and at the same time will create new spaces. In this way, the existing walls will be preserved and enhanced as evidence of the building's experience.
The itinerary's exhibition is a sequence of "warm" and "cold" spaces that intensify the experience of the visitors. Outside a new entrance defines the border from the surrounding countryside. Inside the building, the "cold" spaces host testimonials of the building's use.
