Liliia Kuksina

Nestled within the once-infamous red-light district of Naples, La Casa Santa dell’Annunziata was a refuge for unwanted infants. Mothers would entrust their new-borns to the care of the institution through una ruota degli esposti, a foundling wheel, within the walls of the church. This artefact symbolised the desperation of those grappling with dire circumstances and the dedication of the institution. The Materia Interstices of Intramural Naples reimagines this act of dedication for the contemporary city by confronting a pressing issue affecting Neapolitan society: the recruitment of adolescents into the Camorra. Through a Youth Woodcraft Community Centre, the project aims to revitalise the traditional wood-carving crafts associated with Via Annunziata. This centre provides a showroom, café, and reading room, visible from the street to encourage community interaction. Behind a reinstated gate lies a craft centre, where two wood-workshops provide hands-on skill development. Above are counselling services, and accommodation for the most vulnerable. Inspired by artefacts such as the ruota degli esposti, a timber frame disrupts the rigidity of the institutional setting. Conditioned, cabinet-like assemblages occupy the shell of the former orphanage, creating a hidden timber interstice which extends through selected apertures to offer balconies to the courtyard. A sequence of screens—calibrated façades of varying thickness—spill into the city, offering glimpses of public programmes and shielding concealed spaces. These ‘gates’ allow internal observers to peer out and signal a presence to those beyond. Associated supporting spaces operate ‘in suspense’ (sospeso), awaiting future use.