Craco is an abandoned hilltop village in southern Italy, watched over by the old Torre Normanna. This competition entry doesn’t hide the village’s decay. It celebrates it.

The design is built around a walking route. Visitors were designed to start at a restored market street selling local crafts. They pass a new glass and concrete visitor center, whose curved form is inspired by eroded sandstone. The route then climbs through narrow streets to the tower, the highest lookout point.

A raised steel walkway runs through the ruins. It gives visitors a close look at the decay and lets plants grow freely underneath. Wooden shelters sit among the ruins and can be joined or split apart for different group sizes. Heritage suites combine restored homes with mirrored glass rooms.

The project honours Craco’s history and the spirit of its former residents. The Architect aim to stimulate tourism and live into the forgetten city by retaining it romantic historical setting.