The project aims to bring back life to the Church of San Giovanni in Val di Lago by giving both the pilgrims on the Via Francigena and the citizens of the nearby town of San Lorenzo Nuovo a pilgrimage centre and a unique venue for cultural events.

The proposal aims to respect the story and the existing architecture by interacting with it subtly. The concept of the project is therefore based on two main architectural actions: Framing and Contrasting.

The act of framing is executed by a cantilevered semi-hypogeum slab that clearly defines a space. This space recalls the typology of the courtyard due to its meditative and social nature that fits perfectly with the needs of the area, for pilgrimage and community functions. At the same time, the courtyard is “sunken” in the ground and therefore frames the view towards the church giving multiple interesting perspectives to be explored by the users.

The contrasting action is given by materials and textures used expressively in juxtaposition with the church. The concrete is used in thin, light and cantilevered forms, and the semitransparent plain curtains play with the old stone and its decorations. These two materials are repeated in the chapel and the pilgrimage spaces by using the same architectural language but declined according to the different levels of solemnity wished. For example, the same concrete and curtains are used inside the chapel to create a dramatic effect with an optically suspended dome and light games, while in the pilgrimage centre, the same tools are used to communicate a more human scale and a less solemn atmosphere.