Italy's Prisons: An Architectural Crisis

Ten years after the opening of the Giardino degli Incontri at Sollicciano prison, the last project linked to Giovanni Michelucci, Italian prisons remain architecturally outdated. The garden, designed with inmate input, aimed to create openness toward the city. Alessio Scandurra of Antigone's adult observatory notes a chronic lack of design competitions, leading to stagnant innovation. Of 191 active prisons, 15 predate 1700, 3 are from 1770-1799, 21 from 1800-1899, and 152 from 1900 onward. Many recent facilities were designed decades ago for terrorism-era needs, now ill-suited for overcrowding. As of April 30, 2017, there were 56,436 inmates, a 1,524 increase in six months. Scandurra highlights architectural constraints that hinder inmate movement and waste staff resources. The Murate in Florence, a former prison converted into public housing and cultural spaces, offers a successful reuse model. Architect Alice Franchina argues that prison space reflects societal ideas of punishment and relationships.