Italian pharmaceutical company Chiesi has launched an international call for ideas for the regeneration of a historical industrial site in Parma.

A follow-up to the completion of Chiesi Group’s Parma, Italy, headquarters, the Restore to Impact architectural project will see the establishment of a second work building on the city’s via Palermo. Chiesi’s ambition is to see the industrial space transformed into an innovative business playground – one that can drive further urban regeneration, highlight the relationship between personal health and that of the planet and inspire new ways of approaching care and healing. 

Targeted at individual professional and interdisciplinary teams, the call for ideas invites two categories of participation: professionals – architects, landscape architects, designers, engineers, researchers and industry experts – and graduates or those in education in architecture, engineering or design. Those with particular expertise in healthcare, sustainability, data and technology and service design are especially encouraged to share their vision for the site’s future buildings, outdoor spaces and interiors.

Chiesi's Via Palermo site in 1954 (top) and 2022 (bottom). Cover image depicts the building in 2008.

Chiesi conceived five action points that underscore Restore to Impact’s purpose: innovate to stay coherent, restore to preserve, dare for opportunities, take care to treat and design to impact. ‘The rapid changes we are witnessing in all fields and disciplines today require the interconnection of increasingly specialized professionals who have evolving skills,’ says Andrea Chiesi, head of special projects at Chiesi Group. ‘But they also demand workplaces that are aligned with current notions of cooperation, inclusion, wellbeing and where research and training are supported by state-of-the-art technologies.’

The call for ideas closes on 30 April 2023. A selection committee will review each concept submitted, with three eligible concepts for the Professional category to receive €12,000 each. And three eligible concepts for the Under 30 category will be awarded with €5,000 each. The committee also reserves the right to name five honourable mentions per category; professionals will earn €2,000 per mention and Under 30s €1,000. Winners will be included in the elaboration and development phases of the via Palermo regeneration project and recognized as developers of the design guidelines. 

Continuing the dialogue around its five action points, Chiesi intends to hold a series of public panels from June to November 2023. The conversations seek to promote greater connectivity between the community. As Chiesi explains: ‘The project goes beyond simple building renovation and opens up possibilities for new building and site development approaches.’

Learn how to participate in the Restore to Impact competition here.