Architectural Restoration Between Design and Contemporaneity: European Overview and Relevant Case Studies

Dear Colleagues,

The conservation of architectural heritage increasingly faces complex challenges that require a critical reflection on disciplinary boundaries and operational practices. The pressing effects of climate change, growing demands for structural safety, and evolving societal expectations call for restoration strategies capable of addressing historical remains with intellectual rigor and methodological adaptability.

This Special Issue seeks contributions that embrace a cross-disciplinary perspective, aiming to reconceptualize conservation practices through an interdisciplinary lens, where projectuality—understood as a guiding principle for institutions, professionals, and communities—takes center stage.

Renewed attention to the Vitruvian triad of utilitas, firmitas, venustas invites researchers and designers to reconsider the three fundamental dimensions of the built environment: functional use, structural reliability, and expressive form. This reflection emphasizes the accessibility and meaningful use of heritage, the materials and techniques employed in interventions, and the architectural language that conveys cultural value.

Contemporary challenges also emerge from social transformations and sustainability imperatives, demanding effective integration between architectural composition, survey and typological-critical analysis, and scientific domains such as climatology, restoration chemistry, and numerical modelling.

We welcome original research articles and review papers addressing, but not limited to, the following topics:

• Interdisciplinary approaches for the sustainable design of new additions or interventions on built heritage;
• Integrated strategies linking reuse, restoration, and structural engineering;
• Assessment of architectural quality through lenses of social responsibility, environmental ethics, and long-term sustainability;
• Development and application of innovative, ecological, composite, and nanostructured materials within a circular economy framework;
• Numerical modelling and simulation techniques for the evaluation and reinforcement of historical masonry and structures;
• Implementation of BIM for heritage documentation, management, and conservation planning;
• Eco-compatible strategies for structural and energy retrofitting of historic buildings and infrastructures;
• Integration of solar technologies, green façades, and microclimatic strategies to enhance environmental performance;
• Contemporary restoration theory and practice: emerging paradigms, critical reflections, and methodological evolution with minimal impact on heritage value;
• Critical case studies bridging art, architecture, and technical performance in real-world restoration projects;
• Ethical considerations surrounding the restoration and adaptive reuse of cultural heritage complexes;

Re-evaluating the relationship between form, function, and construction in restored heritage architecture intended for tourism and public engagement.

This Special Issue, together with selected contributions from the conference “Architectural Restoration between Design and Contemporaneity: European Overview and Relevant Case Studies” (Perugia, 19–20 January 2026), aims to provide a comprehensive overview of contemporary approaches, technologies, and strategies for the conservation, enhancement, and valorization of historic heritage.

We look forward to receiving your submissions.

Dr. Riccardo Liberotti
Prof. Dr. Vittorio Gusella
Prof. Dr. Polyxeni Mantzou
Guest Editors

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• heritage buildings and infrastructures
• typological analysis of heritage architectures
• vernacular architecture
• climate-responsive design
• adaptive reuse of built heritage
• structural strengthening techniques
• composite and nanostructured materials
• sustainable and contemporary restoration
• façade greening and microclimate
• energy efficiency in heritage buildings