Beyond the Ruin: An Interpretative Framework for Design and Functional Transformability in Heritage Contexts

This paper addresses the challenge of contemporary design in the context of ruined heritage, proposing an interpretative framework that links the material state of the ruin to the scope of permissible transformation. The framework is structured through three interconnected dimensions: the Degree of Ruination (DoR), which describes the physical and spatial state of the ruin; the Degree of Design Transformability (DoT), which defines the range of culturally permissible interventions; and the Degree of Functional Transformability (DoF), which addresses the compatibility of new uses. Rather than prescribing design solutions, the framework supports the interpretation of the relationship between ruin and project, distinguishing between material state, design action, and functional adaptation. Its application is explored through two case studies: the Roman Baths of Acconia di Curinga and the ruined Church of Grottole, both characterized by an advanced state of ruin. The comparison highlights how similar material conditions can generate different design approaches, revealing different balances between protection, enhancement, and formal expression, as well as varying degrees of functional compatibility. In this sense, the framework does not aim to validate interventions, but to clarify the degrees of coherence and tensions that emerge in the design process. The proposed approach contributes to the ongoing debate on interventions in ruined contexts, offering a structured but nonprescriptive tool to support design reasoning and to articulate the cultural admissibility of contemporary transformations in heritage contexts.