Interpreting tangible and intangible heritage through architectural practice: a comparison between two community centers

The contribution explores the relationship between a territory’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage and the architecture of community centers. The authors consider the critical interpretation of the place’s cultural heritage the foundation for a design process that anticipates future architectural configurations intended for the communities that inhabit a territory. The project becomes an active tool connecting contemporary works with the stratification of forms, types, and traditions embedded in a specific cultural landscape. From a historical perspective, community spaces are framed as foundational nuclei of shared heritage, capable of giving a cultural depth to urban and rural areas. This study focuses on two 3andwich Design/He Wei Studio. Despite their geographical distance, the two projects are analyzed for their unique ability to establish a critical dialogue with cultural heritage. This is reflected both in their careful interpretation of local forms and materials and in their capacity to actively engage with an intangible heritage of actions and technical knowledge, which culturally reconnects the transformative actions of the design process. Through this perspective, the analysis highlights how the architect’s role can be defined as an interpreter of cultural heritage, finding in it an opportunity to enhance meanings and values connected to contemporaneity.