Amelia Tavella's Copper-Clad Convent Restoration in Corsica

Architect Amelia Tavella has completed the restoration of the 15th-century Convent Saint François in Santa-Lucia di Tallano, Corsica, transforming it into a contemporary cultural center called the "Maison du Territoire." The project, located in the Alta Rocca region, integrates a new copper volume into the ruined granite structure, preserving the original footprint while introducing a modern material palette. Tavella's intervention respects the preexisting symmetry and axial organization, using copper for its reflective qualities and evolving patina that will gradually harmonize with the aged stone. A key feature is the incorporation of moucharabieh-style copper screens that filter light and control climate, creating variable atmospheres within the monastic spaces. The design preserves organic elements like a fig tree whose roots have become structurally integrated with the masonry, a phenomenon Tavella calls "nature siamese." The project avoids both historicist reconstruction and autonomous formal contrast, instead establishing a layered reading of time through material differentiation. The copper envelope is designed to be reversible, adhering to contemporary conservation principles. Photographs by Thibaut Dini document the completed work.