Architettura termoelettrica. L’immaginario e il progetto nella centrale di Giuseppe Samonà ad Augusta

In 2015, it started the dismantling process of the Thermoelectric Power Station designed in Augusta (Sicily) by Giuseppe Samonà. Placing the origin of the architecture of Power Stations within the symbolic antonymic relationship between machine, electricity, factory and art that Western Europe has developed since the end of the XX century, this article discusses the mains architectural features of Augusta Power station first. Then, it considers the new perspectives to be faced for thermoelectric power stations in the transition towards the new principles of sustainability. Any potential of these production areas should be thus reconsidered, and any ability of their contexts still unexpressed should be activated in order to define concrete and productive actions of recycle that could recover the opportunity of energy experimentation indispensable for the community and practicable in these areas, together with the potential of attraction of these places.