Redevelopment and adaptive reuse of the former Cotonificio di Partanna Mondello in Palermo with Suarez Santas Arquitectos

Second Prize – Design Competition

In collaboration with:

Suarez Santas Arquitectos

Sympraxis srl

ABGroup Engineering

The project proposes the transformation of the former Cotton Mill (Cotonificio) into a new Museum of Science and Technology for Children: a place where the building’s industrial heritage is reimagined as a space for knowledge, education, and scientific discovery.

Regarded as a true monument of modernity, the former Cotton Mill is reinterpreted with full respect for its Functionalist identity. Rather than a purely conservative restoration, the project envisions an architectural metamorphosis capable of breathing new life into the existing structure. The selective demolition of a deteriorated section of the building allows for the creation of a large, tree-lined courtyard—an hortus conclusus open to the city—which becomes both an outdoor extension of the museum and a public gathering space.

The new complex will accommodate flexible exhibition areas, conference halls, a library, children's play and learning spaces, a café, coworking facilities, and educational workshops, establishing itself as a cultural hub for children, young people, families, and schools. Set within an urban context currently lacking facilities for children and largely dominated by commercial activities, the museum aims to become a new social and cultural catalyst.