The Prabi hydroeletric plant in Arco - Trento: Demolition or Preservation?

Abandoned industrial buildings currently constitute a significant part of the building stock, both in Italy and in Europe. Industrial buildings are abandoned for many reasons. These are sometimes linked to the sector: for example, economic and production changes or a decline in the quantity of materials etc. At other times, the reasons are specifically related to the building itself — to its useful technical life — but also to general factors connected to changes in policy: for example, differences in the use of the water supply or environmental factors. We felt that it would be interesting to examine a specific set of industrial buildings i.e., those dedicated to the production of electricity. In most cases, these are located in isolated areas with a considerable environmental value. To be specific, we analysed the Prabi hydroelectric plant in Arco. This building was "transformed" into a power plant in the last few years of the nineteenth century (1892), used until 1962, and then abandoned. The building and its surroundings have existed in continual tension for over fifty years, fluctuating between conditions of permanence and modification, degradation and possible recovery, marginalisation and integration. During this time, various interventions have been proposed: demolition or, in contrast, preservation and development. However, nothing has yet been done. We therefore wonder whether this building should be preserved or demolished.