Conservation and Transformation of Modern Coastal Heritage: Seafront Terrace of Lignano Sabbiadoro Between Memory, Identity, and Innovation

Abstract

The Seafront Terrace of Lignano Sabbiadoro, designed and built by Aldo Bernardis between 1961 and 1970, represents a pivotal moment in the transformation of the Friulian coastal landscape in the second half of the Twentieth Century. Built to replace Provino Valle’s wooden terrace from 1920, Bernardis’s project redefined the relationship between the city and the sea, becoming both an emblem of modernity and an urban landmark. The structure consists of a long-stilted pier terminating in a platform with two volumes covered by reinforced concrete vaults, shaped as upside-down  seashells, and a small lighthouse. Bernardis’s architectural design engages in dialogue with key figures of international modern architecture, reinterpreted through a pragmatic spirit and an inclination toward innovation. 

The paper investigates both the historical dynamics and the design process that accompanied the creation of this landmark, a focal point of social life in Lignano Sabbiadoro during the 1960s and 1970s. It analyzes materials and technologies, as well as recent transformations and the building’s future potential. The recent restoration initiative promoted by the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, currently underway, offers an opportunity to critically reflect on conservation strategies for twentieth-century architectural heritage, and on the potential to establish enhancement processes  that reconcile protection, reuse, and renewed urban vitality.