The Space of the Other. Architecture from Exclusion to Care in the Modern City

Throughout the history of places of care, architecture has played a decisive and deeply symbolic role: a physical setting for the life of the “patient,” but also a device of control and exclusion. These spaces were designed to separate, isolate, and normalize, becoming both enclosures and boundaries. The architectures of exclusion – across different eras and functions – engage in dialogue with one another and with the human experiences inhabiting them, shaping the “liminal” spaces of the city.

The conference aims to build a scientific framework that highlights positive actions connected to a paradigm shift in how we view the architectural heritage of the “space of the other.” From places of exclusion to spaces of care in the broadest sense: care for individuals, for society and institutions; care for the built environment and the city; care for the tangible and intangible heritage contained within these spaces.

The conference will take place in Mantova, at the Politecnico di Milano Campus, on 27 and 28 November 2025 in Classroom A.0.1.

Attached is the event poster.