A team led by Politecnica Building for Humans has won the competition for a new Ceto cultural hub in a former textile mill in Valle Camonica, Italy. Park Associati and AMDL CIRCLE serve as architectural co-leads, while Studio Mattioli handles geology and archaeology. The scheme will convert the former Società Filati Niggeler & Kupfer mill into a facility with exhibition spaces, research facilities, an auditorium, and visitor services.
Ceto Polo Culturale. Image © Nicola Colella
The site sits at the southern entrance to Valle Camonica, in the province of Brescia, near Monte Concarena and Pizzo Badile Camuno. The valley is known for its prehistoric rock engravings, called the Pitoti, which form an extensive record of early human expression. The Rock Drawings in Valle Camonica became Italy‘s first UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, and the wider area has belonged to the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Reserve “Valle Camonica, Alto Sebino” since 2018.
Image © Nicola Colella
Against that backdrop, the winning proposal approaches the mill through the relationship between industrial heritage, archaeology, and the surrounding landscape. It treats the link between cultural heritage, the natural environment, and the local community as its guiding principle. The traces carved into the rock shape an approach that considers the territory’s material characteristics, geological conditions, and morphology, in a project of adaptive reuse that starts from the ground itself.
Image © Nicola Colella
The team also conceives the project as an open infrastructure. It is meant to serve as the starting point for a network of routes that connect archaeological sites with the natural environment, so visitors can move from the hub out into the valley.
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Image © Nicola Colella
The hub belongs to broader cultural initiatives in Valle Camonica, which has launched its candidacy for Italian Capital of Culture 2029. That year will mark the 50th anniversary of the Rock Drawings’ inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The facility is intended to contribute to the region’s cultural infrastructure by bringing together archaeological heritage, landscape, and community-oriented facilities.
Image © Nicola Colella
The competition was launched by the Municipality of Ceto, with the Comunità Montana di Valle Camonica as contracting authority and Imago, led by Luca Molinari, providing scientific coordination. Politecnica Building for Humans coordinates the project and is responsible for structural and building services engineering, sustainability, fire safety, acoustics, health and safety, and mobility.
Image © Nicola Colella
- Project: Ceto Polo Culturale
- Location: Ceto, Valle Camonica, province of Brescia, Italy
- Lead: Politecnica Building for Humans
- Architectural design: Park Associati and AMDL CIRCLE
- Geology and archaeology: Studio Mattioli
- Scientific coordination: Imago, led by Luca Molinari
- Status: ongoing, with 2026 as the starting year
Jane Doe is an American architectural editor with a deep-rooted passion for design and the built environment. She holds a degree in Architecture from Columbia University, where she developed a strong foundation in both architectural theory and urban studies. With over a decade of editorial experience, Jane specializes in shaping content that bridges architecture, urbanism, and cultural discourse. Her work spans leading design publications, exhibition texts, and digital platforms, where she is known for her clear, engaging narratives and her ability to translate complex spatial ideas for a broad audience. Jane is particularly interested in issues of equity, sustainability, and the evolving role of cities in a changing world.