Cultural Agora (CA)
A new library and urban cultural district for the city of Colle di Val d’Elsa
From an empty box to the beating heart of our collective culture” - the new library and urban cultural district is an integrated system of beauty, culture and urban heritage regeneration. The CA project transforms a former and disused shopping mall spanning over 2,000 square metres into a modern innovative cultural hub
Italy
Colle di Val d’Elsa
Prototype level
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
ERDF : European Regional Development Fund
{Empty}
No
52012: Colle di Val d'Elsa (IT)
The CA is a high-priority project that forms part of Colle Val d’Elsa's urban strategy. The design of the new library stems from the need to reimagine public spaces as central hubs for community life combining culture, sustainability and social interaction with everyday life. The city, with approximately 22,000 residents, experiences around 25,000 annual visits to the library. The old library building, rented by the Municipality, is no longer fit for purpose and requires significant restoration work. Furthermore, the library is a striking feature of Colle Val d’Elsa's bid to become the Italian Capital of Culture in 2028. The local authority is committed to developing a cultural district comprising the new library, the Teatro del Popolo, a section of the Gora canal (a man-made medieval channel of the Elsa river), the Crystal Museum, the Sant'Agostino monastic complex, and the surrounding square. The area also features the public lift system designed by Jean Nouvel, which is currently undergoing a full renovation. The project's overall strategy focuses on the new 2,000 sq m library, which will regenerate a previously abandoned shopping centre. This site was once a historic timber factory located near an old paper mill and glass factory, the latter of which is now the Crystal Museum.
Although the infrastructural works are not yet finished, the CA is transforming the traditional concept of a public library into a new, NEB-based model for social and cultural hubs in small to medium-sized cities.
Today's library is a place of knowledge, learning, growth, integration and interaction, as well as a space for sharing and creating new forms of expression. In short, it is a unique and irreplaceable space that acts as a catalyst for interaction between users, texts and the location's cultural content, through which a heritage of collective values is internalised and transformed into a personal experience.
Although the infrastructural works are not yet finished, the CA is transforming the traditional concept of a public library into a new, NEB-based model for social and cultural hubs in small to medium-sized cities.
Today's library is a place of knowledge, learning, growth, integration and interaction, as well as a space for sharing and creating new forms of expression. In short, it is a unique and irreplaceable space that acts as a catalyst for interaction between users, texts and the location's cultural content, through which a heritage of collective values is internalised and transformed into a personal experience.
Participatory design
Connections
Common goods
Green corridors
Outdoor education
The CA project pays particular attention to environmental aspects and sustainability by integrating bioclimatic measures. The use of low-emission materials ensures high-quality indoor environments, while innovative solutions such as the Gora air-conditioning system reduce energy consumption and reliance on conventional mechanical cooling and heating systems, ultimately making the most of the area’s natural resources. These solutions are complemented by efficient technological systems, such as LED lighting and sectional electrical and mechanical systems that are designed to be activated only when the spaces are in use, as well as high-efficiency machinery that optimises consumption.
This closed-loop approach to natural resources highlights the importance of adaptive reuse — refurbishing existing buildings rather than demolishing and rebuilding — which forms the structural backbone of the Cultural Agorà sustainability strategy. Preserving the existing footprint protects surrounding permeable soil and green areas, which contribute directly to urban biodiversity and stormwater management.
Green space regeneration also plays a key role, not merely as an aesthetic element, but as an integral part of the project capable of improving the local microclimate. Vegetation naturally filters the air, reduces heat, increases biodiversity, and promotes collective well-being. The project involves greening public and shared spaces by replacing hard surfaces with vegetation to improve air quality, reduce the urban heat island effect and support ecological connectivity along the canal corridor. Lastly, closing vehicular traffic in the Cultural Agorà areas on specific days removes a key barrier to pedestrian life and air quality, making active mobility the obvious choice.
This closed-loop approach to natural resources highlights the importance of adaptive reuse — refurbishing existing buildings rather than demolishing and rebuilding — which forms the structural backbone of the Cultural Agorà sustainability strategy. Preserving the existing footprint protects surrounding permeable soil and green areas, which contribute directly to urban biodiversity and stormwater management.
Green space regeneration also plays a key role, not merely as an aesthetic element, but as an integral part of the project capable of improving the local microclimate. Vegetation naturally filters the air, reduces heat, increases biodiversity, and promotes collective well-being. The project involves greening public and shared spaces by replacing hard surfaces with vegetation to improve air quality, reduce the urban heat island effect and support ecological connectivity along the canal corridor. Lastly, closing vehicular traffic in the Cultural Agorà areas on specific days removes a key barrier to pedestrian life and air quality, making active mobility the obvious choice.
CA puts design quality and cultural experience at the heart of this civic transformation. The project's core concept is to create an open, welcoming and accessible space where everyone can feel comfortable as an integral part of the community.
The project is designed to engage in deliberate architectural dialogue with two landmark institutions: the Teatro del Popolo and the public lift system designed by Jean Nouvel. This integration with Nouvel's lift links Colle Val di Elsa Bassa (low part) to Colle Val di Elsa Alta (upper part), is an example of designer-led mobility. Movement from the CA to the city becomes an accessible and aesthetic experience, providing a seamless transition between the town's two levels. The 'connection keywords' are not merely functional, but are a fundamental principle of the entire project.
Thanks to the CA, public space is reimagined as a link between cultural institutions, connecting the library with the Teatro del Popolo, the Crystal Museum, and Sant’Agostino Square. By activating the spaces between buildings, as well as the buildings themselves, the initiative transforms the ordinary experience of passing through the centre into one of discovery, beauty and belonging. The model proposed by Colle Val d'Elsa, in which mobility infrastructure, the public space and cultural anchors are designed as a unified composition, offers an exemplary template for mid-sized European cities.
The new public space, we propose, is not separating buildings but creating a physical link between them.
The project is designed to engage in deliberate architectural dialogue with two landmark institutions: the Teatro del Popolo and the public lift system designed by Jean Nouvel. This integration with Nouvel's lift links Colle Val di Elsa Bassa (low part) to Colle Val di Elsa Alta (upper part), is an example of designer-led mobility. Movement from the CA to the city becomes an accessible and aesthetic experience, providing a seamless transition between the town's two levels. The 'connection keywords' are not merely functional, but are a fundamental principle of the entire project.
Thanks to the CA, public space is reimagined as a link between cultural institutions, connecting the library with the Teatro del Popolo, the Crystal Museum, and Sant’Agostino Square. By activating the spaces between buildings, as well as the buildings themselves, the initiative transforms the ordinary experience of passing through the centre into one of discovery, beauty and belonging. The model proposed by Colle Val d'Elsa, in which mobility infrastructure, the public space and cultural anchors are designed as a unified composition, offers an exemplary template for mid-sized European cities.
The new public space, we propose, is not separating buildings but creating a physical link between them.
The project has been designed from scratch using inclusive design principles to serve every member of the Colle di Val d'Elsa community, paying particular attention to the most vulnerable and fragile users. In terms of the physical environment, the spaces will be designed to give the library an informal, contemporary and inviting atmosphere. Fixed and movable furnishings, designed and crafted to suit everyone (design4all), will ensure the flexibility and adaptability of the spaces, guaranteeing maximum inclusivity. Ergonomic seating, easily accessible shelving, and solutions tailored to every type of user will ensure the space is functional and comfortable for all.
In terms of programming, CA offers a wide range of activities based on an inclusion model. 3 activities that place the public library as central in city life.. 'Un Nido di Storie' introduces children aged 0–3 and their families to the library as a free, stimulating civic space. “Quante Storie” sustains that relationship throughout the school curriculum. “Parole in Compagnia” brings reading sessions and dialogues directly to care homes for older residents, including those over 80, preventing isolation through shared culture.
The CA also tackles the challenge of the digital divide through a digital facilitation desk that supports residents, particularly elderly users and non-native Italian speakers, in navigating public administration services. At the same time, local community associations can use the space for community-based activities free of charge, including multimedia zones, a café, co-working spaces, relaxation areas and galleries for temporary exhibitions.
Finally, Colle Val d'Elsa is part of the Tuscany region, which has been selected as a pilot case for the NEB-Experimentation Journey with the Toscana Accessibile policy programme, positioning the regional territory as a sandbox for inclusive, place-based transformation practices.
In terms of programming, CA offers a wide range of activities based on an inclusion model. 3 activities that place the public library as central in city life.. 'Un Nido di Storie' introduces children aged 0–3 and their families to the library as a free, stimulating civic space. “Quante Storie” sustains that relationship throughout the school curriculum. “Parole in Compagnia” brings reading sessions and dialogues directly to care homes for older residents, including those over 80, preventing isolation through shared culture.
The CA also tackles the challenge of the digital divide through a digital facilitation desk that supports residents, particularly elderly users and non-native Italian speakers, in navigating public administration services. At the same time, local community associations can use the space for community-based activities free of charge, including multimedia zones, a café, co-working spaces, relaxation areas and galleries for temporary exhibitions.
Finally, Colle Val d'Elsa is part of the Tuscany region, which has been selected as a pilot case for the NEB-Experimentation Journey with the Toscana Accessibile policy programme, positioning the regional territory as a sandbox for inclusive, place-based transformation practices.
The project is grounded in the conviction that public cultural heritage should integrate community co-ownership when defining the future of a city. The Colle 2028 project embodies this principle through the new library: it is the product of a collective effort involving over 200 stakeholders, structured through six thematic roundtables, open public meetings and participatory workshops.
As part of the URBACT CivicHeritage network, the CA has adopted an internationally recognised framework for community-led heritage management. Citizens are active participants who build trust with each other and strengthen the perceived and actual value of the public asset. Two flagship participatory programmes have given concrete form to this commitment and had an impact on civil society: Colle Capitale Umano trained local operators, students and residents, building civic capacity and ensuring that the community has the skills to sustain and animate the space in the long term. “Fabbrica Cultura” brought together artists, businesses, and institutions in a permanent urban laboratory.
The spaces themselves are designed to sustain this involvement in the long term. They are functional socio-cultural areas, conceived to be accessible and multi-generational. Study areas, creative workshops, co-working zones and social spaces serve different generations and needs, making the library a daily civic infrastructure rather than an occasional destination. In our approach the public library is conceived as a ‘public good’ able to create a new community based idea of culture.
As part of the URBACT CivicHeritage network, the CA has adopted an internationally recognised framework for community-led heritage management. Citizens are active participants who build trust with each other and strengthen the perceived and actual value of the public asset. Two flagship participatory programmes have given concrete form to this commitment and had an impact on civil society: Colle Capitale Umano trained local operators, students and residents, building civic capacity and ensuring that the community has the skills to sustain and animate the space in the long term. “Fabbrica Cultura” brought together artists, businesses, and institutions in a permanent urban laboratory.
The spaces themselves are designed to sustain this involvement in the long term. They are functional socio-cultural areas, conceived to be accessible and multi-generational. Study areas, creative workshops, co-working zones and social spaces serve different generations and needs, making the library a daily civic infrastructure rather than an occasional destination. In our approach the public library is conceived as a ‘public good’ able to create a new community based idea of culture.
At the local level, the project is anchored in a cultural synergy between the Teatro del Popolo, the Museo del Cristallo and the historical and welfare heritage of Sant'Agostino. These institutions form an integrated civic network (the Agora of Culture), ensuring that the library functions as the connective hub of a wider cultural district, not in isolation.
Codesign Toscana - NGO that works as a co-design activator in territories - started in 2025 facilitated the ColleX participatory process - promoted by the Municipality of Colle di Val d’Elsa, co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) 2021–2027 of the Region of Tuscany. The main objective is to involve the younger generation and the entire community in the co-design of initiatives aimed at developing the city youth policies, promoting active participation, and creating structured encounters between local stakeholders and user groups. As a result, residents, associations and service users collaborated to design the library's functions and spatial identity, translating community aspirations directly into design decisions.
At the regional level, the Tuscany Region's “Toscana Accessibile” programme represents a broader territorial scale commitment to place-based transformation based on NEB principles, providing institutional legitimacy and methodological support.
At the European level, Colle Val d'Elsa is part of the URBACT Civic Heritage network, which is structured around Urbact Local Groups (ULGs) and provides a peer-learning framework of proven international value. Exchanging ideas with the Onda project in Spain offered direct, comparative insight into civic space management and included a field visit in February 2026, ensuring that lessons were complemented by practical experience. URBACT's methodology ensured that stakeholder engagement was systematic, documented and transferable.
Codesign Toscana - NGO that works as a co-design activator in territories - started in 2025 facilitated the ColleX participatory process - promoted by the Municipality of Colle di Val d’Elsa, co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF) 2021–2027 of the Region of Tuscany. The main objective is to involve the younger generation and the entire community in the co-design of initiatives aimed at developing the city youth policies, promoting active participation, and creating structured encounters between local stakeholders and user groups. As a result, residents, associations and service users collaborated to design the library's functions and spatial identity, translating community aspirations directly into design decisions.
At the regional level, the Tuscany Region's “Toscana Accessibile” programme represents a broader territorial scale commitment to place-based transformation based on NEB principles, providing institutional legitimacy and methodological support.
At the European level, Colle Val d'Elsa is part of the URBACT Civic Heritage network, which is structured around Urbact Local Groups (ULGs) and provides a peer-learning framework of proven international value. Exchanging ideas with the Onda project in Spain offered direct, comparative insight into civic space management and included a field visit in February 2026, ensuring that lessons were complemented by practical experience. URBACT's methodology ensured that stakeholder engagement was systematic, documented and transferable.
The CA is built and unified by a single cross-cutting theme: cultural welfare. It ensures an access to culture that is inseparable from the right to health, wellbeing, and a dignified quality of life. To realise this vision, the Municipality of Colle di Val d'Elsa engaged professionals across multiple fields at every stage of the process: architects and urban designers led the masterplan design, ensuring the physical transformation of the Sant'Agostino complex responds to both heritage constraints and contemporary civic ambitions. Social scientists and designers facilitated the ColleX engagement process, translating community voices into spatial and programmatic decisions. Today Colle di Val d’Elsa is the first city in Europe with a nominated chancellor for Cultural welfare. Communication specialists positioned the CA as a strategic asset, as highlighted within the dossier for the Italian Capital of Culture 2028 candidacy. This transdisciplinary logic extends into the cultural programming itself: the physical proximity of the Teatro del Popolo, the Museo del Cristallo, and the Sant'Agostino oratory - with its dedicated social impact vocation - creates a generative network between contemporary art, live performance, cultural heritage and community wellbeing.
Viewing the library as a community hub means recognising that books are not just objects, but touchpoints within a broader socio-cultural system. The library's primary mission is to create a community where culture serves as a connective element.
Strategically located opposite the Teatro del Popolo, the library will be more than just a repository for books; it will become the hub of a new Urban Cultural District, linking the city's main monuments and public spaces. This project, known as the Agorà della Cultura, forms part of a wider plan to regenerate the city centre and establish a vibrant cultural district at its heart.
The central idea is to create an open and welcoming space that can become a focal point for the community. The library will be a place not only for reading and study, but also for meeting and sharing experiences.
The CA will therefore become the fulcrum of a knowledge plaza and a driving force behind the revitalisation of the historic centre. This space will feature a concert hall, an auditorium and multifunctional areas that bring together culture, services and social interaction, providing the community with an open and inclusive space.
Strategically located opposite the Teatro del Popolo, the library will be more than just a repository for books; it will become the hub of a new Urban Cultural District, linking the city's main monuments and public spaces. This project, known as the Agorà della Cultura, forms part of a wider plan to regenerate the city centre and establish a vibrant cultural district at its heart.
The central idea is to create an open and welcoming space that can become a focal point for the community. The library will be a place not only for reading and study, but also for meeting and sharing experiences.
The CA will therefore become the fulcrum of a knowledge plaza and a driving force behind the revitalisation of the historic centre. This space will feature a concert hall, an auditorium and multifunctional areas that bring together culture, services and social interaction, providing the community with an open and inclusive space.
Colle Val d'Elsa is part of the URBACT Civic Heritage network, which is structured around Urbact Local Groups (ULGs) and provides a peer-learning framework of proven international value. This project focuses on exchanging methodological blueprints and good practices based on the Onda project in Spain. Being part of this offered to the Colle Val d’Elsa community direct, comparative insight for civic space management. Also, it included a field visit in February 2026, ensuring that lessons were complemented by practical experience.
Furthermore, building on the ColleX’s Life Design methodology, the Cultural Agorà has developed its strategic NEB-centered vision on ecosystemic mapping, co-design workshops and tactical urbanism initiatives, offering young people the opportunity to experience agency in decision-making processes. Attached you can find a presentation of the ColleX methodology.
The combination of these two complementary methodologies has enabled the Colle Val d’Elsa socio-urban environment to address issues such as marginalisation and youth distress, providing tools for building confidence and personal growth while co-designing the new multifunctional library.
Furthermore, building on the ColleX’s Life Design methodology, the Cultural Agorà has developed its strategic NEB-centered vision on ecosystemic mapping, co-design workshops and tactical urbanism initiatives, offering young people the opportunity to experience agency in decision-making processes. Attached you can find a presentation of the ColleX methodology.
The combination of these two complementary methodologies has enabled the Colle Val d’Elsa socio-urban environment to address issues such as marginalisation and youth distress, providing tools for building confidence and personal growth while co-designing the new multifunctional library.
The project is already a model of replicability, as Cultural Agorà is based on the URBACT model developed by Onda, the European lead partner, which has already transformed old buildings into civic spaces. Based on the URBACT CivicHeritage project, which brings together cities across Europe that are transforming disused buildings into new, vibrant spaces for the community, Colle di Val d’Elsa and the Cultural Agorà form part of this network alongside: Onda (Spain) – Lead Partner, Alba Iulia (Romania), Alcanena (Portugal), Otrokovice (Czech Republic), Varaždinske Toplice (Croatia), Tønder (Denmark), Tetovo (North Macedonia). In particular, the blueprint that Colle Val d’Elsa is developing through a participatory process is able to provide for replicability:
-communication assets to REVITALISE THE TOWN: regenerating strategic areas and the historic centre, and sharing success by using the experience of the Cultural Agorà model to demonstrate how to restore the town’s heritage with everyone’s participation.
-nature-based strategies that unite NATURE AND CULTURE, thus making it possible to create a link between parks, waterways and monuments for a more beautiful and liveable landscape, fostering dialogue between the cultural space and the environment and the surrounding area.
-Co-design processes and intergenerational engagement strategies – see the complementary Colle X project – in order to ENGAGE CITIZENS and transform historic sites into communal spaces managed in partnership with residents.
-communication assets to REVITALISE THE TOWN: regenerating strategic areas and the historic centre, and sharing success by using the experience of the Cultural Agorà model to demonstrate how to restore the town’s heritage with everyone’s participation.
-nature-based strategies that unite NATURE AND CULTURE, thus making it possible to create a link between parks, waterways and monuments for a more beautiful and liveable landscape, fostering dialogue between the cultural space and the environment and the surrounding area.
-Co-design processes and intergenerational engagement strategies – see the complementary Colle X project – in order to ENGAGE CITIZENS and transform historic sites into communal spaces managed in partnership with residents.
The initiative is advancing through a structured roadmap composed of both formal decisions and participatory commitments, each reflecting the NEB values and principles.
Among the completed milestones: first, the municipal resolution to acquire the library building secured the civic ownership necessary for long-term community stewardship. Second, the formal appointment of the architectural team that initiates the technical masterplan process, ensuring both aesthetic and functionality qualities are a primary design principle. As far as multi-stakeholder engagement, being part of the URBACT CivicHeritage network was formalised by dedicated council resolution, anchoring the project within an internationally framework for community-led heritage regeneration.
Attached to this application form can be found the general implementation timeline, which maps all subsequent phases with clear deliverables and task responsibilities.
As far as the planned activities: a further 6 community engagement sessions extended from the successful ColleX methodology are scheduled to co-define the library's functions, spatial allocation and service model ensuring the final design reflects lived needs rather than assumptions. A final distinctive NEB-aligned commitment is the Bando Idee Giovani - a youth ideas competition promoted by the Municipality in partnership with Fondazione Territori Sociali Alta Val d'Elsa. This initiative gathers and directly invests in the future generations’ capability to imagine and co-design the community's future, transforming proposals from young residents into concrete territorial projects
Among the completed milestones: first, the municipal resolution to acquire the library building secured the civic ownership necessary for long-term community stewardship. Second, the formal appointment of the architectural team that initiates the technical masterplan process, ensuring both aesthetic and functionality qualities are a primary design principle. As far as multi-stakeholder engagement, being part of the URBACT CivicHeritage network was formalised by dedicated council resolution, anchoring the project within an internationally framework for community-led heritage regeneration.
Attached to this application form can be found the general implementation timeline, which maps all subsequent phases with clear deliverables and task responsibilities.
As far as the planned activities: a further 6 community engagement sessions extended from the successful ColleX methodology are scheduled to co-define the library's functions, spatial allocation and service model ensuring the final design reflects lived needs rather than assumptions. A final distinctive NEB-aligned commitment is the Bando Idee Giovani - a youth ideas competition promoted by the Municipality in partnership with Fondazione Territori Sociali Alta Val d'Elsa. This initiative gathers and directly invests in the future generations’ capability to imagine and co-design the community's future, transforming proposals from young residents into concrete territorial projects
