Is there public debate on the quality of the place?

In the late 1970s, the mayor of Monte Carasso at the time, Flavio Guidotti, commissioned the Ticinese architect Luigi Snozzi to build a school. The architect’s suggestion was to renovate the aging monastery in the centre of the village for this purpose. This first commission subsequently led to years of collaboration between the villagers, the authorities and the architect. Snozzi simplified the building regulations, defining just seven rules for the land-use plan. He did, however, create an expert commission to examine every building permit application.

Does the place serve its purpose?

Instead of relocating its public functions to areas of new development, as many growing municipalities do, Monte Carasso kept the primary school in the centre. The large monastery complex with the school, which was completed in 1993, and other public functions has thus once again become the core around which the community’s social and cultural life revolves. During the day, the courtyard serves as a playground, and in the evening it becomes the village square. A bar at the end of the arcade, the adjacent small park with a play area, and the church now enliven the centre at different times.

Is the place maintained and sustainably developed?

Monte Carasso has been putting its handful of building rules to the test for years and has found they suffice to achieve the desired high-quality densification within the village and to counteract urban sprawl. Thanks to the densification, the community’s built fabric is mixed, with both new and old buildings. The traditional village character endures and is constantly being renewed. The fruits of clever planning, laid out over 40 years ago, can be seen today in Monte Carasso.

Will the place remain attractive in the long term for living, working, leisure and/or tourism?

With the aid of fixed and yet flexible rules, the bedroom community on the outskirts of Bellinzona became a village with a welcoming atmosphere. In 1993, it was awarded the Wakker Prize for its structure-building developmental planning. Monte Carasso is a valuable and rare example of village renewal that upgrades the locality and halts urbanisation.

Does the place bring different people together?

In a first step, parts of the ageing monastery were restored in the 1990s – for instance, the arcade on the ground floor and the floor above. Later, Snozzi expanded the complex by adding two more classrooms with a new wing built of concrete to the south – part of which overhangs the ruins of a chapel from the Middle Ages. The architect left the former monastery courtyard open on one long side so that this expansive space can be used in a variety of ways. Markets or concerts now take place on the piazza, and a tall, decorated Christmas tree stands there in the Yuletide season.

Does present-day design improve the quality of the existing?

Attached to the 15th-century monastery, which was refurbished and enlarged by Snozzi, is the church from the same century. On its southwest corner rises the imposing 16th-century bell tower. These historic buildings provide the framework for the contemporary interventions that the architect has made on the site to adapt them back to contemporary uses. In this way, he has brought a part of the past back to life.

Does the place foster connectedness with nature and the landscape?

The village is shaped by its topography. Situated on the southern slope of a hill planted with grapevines and surrounded by the Ticino and Sementina rivers, its setting is virtually picturesque. The idyll in Bellinzona’s west is broken by the autobahn to the south of the village. Luigi Snozzi’s main concern was to protect the landscape and to restore the suburb’s unique identity. Together with the residents, he has succeeded in doing both.

Does the place’s beauty contribute to people’s well-being?

The primary school is part of a coherent ensemble. The Monte Carasso project is still considered a benchmark for a fruitful synergy between architecture and urban planning as well as for how to deal with existing buildings. Many architects and students from Switzerland and abroad have visited this school and its surroundings. Every summer, an international design seminar for architecture and urban design is held in the rooms of the monastery.