(In)visible. Strategic and Service Design for the Enhancement of Cultural Heritage

In recent times the need of cities and regions to reshape their identities and communicate their past and present have got a great attention. Art and creativity have been identified as important triggers for growth, improvement and renovation of places. In this paper we want to focus on enhancement actions, which are developed thanks to the relationship and the mutual exchange between urban spaces and tangible and intangible heritage. We can identify three main typologies of actions: 1. Functional. This approach is represented by the integration of new forms of enhancement of heritage and contemporary cultural patrimonies within functional and infrastructural places. These actions try to expand the knowledge of art and heritage and to attract new audiences, beside influencing the likeability of cities. 2. Symbolic. This approach is represented by artworks which want to stress meanings and narratives otherwise invisible or undervalued. 3. Strategic. This approach is represented by Design interventions, which aim at connecting tangible and intangible heritage with new sense making systems. Our paper will look in particular to the third point: the Strategic and Service Design tools and approaches for heritage communication and enhancement. Through the selection of a series of case studies, we are going to analyze them according to specific dichotomies: • top down/bottom up (processes) • real/virtual • passive/active (fruition) • tradition/innovation In addition to this, we also specifically look at the different roles which Design can have in strategically planning from the whole process of enhancement to the single phases which concur in it.