Reusing grain silos from the 1930s in Italy. A multi-criteria decision analysis for the case of Arezzo

Abstract Italian grain silos from the 1930s are emblematic buildings of an historical period characterized by technological progress and particular economic and political conditions. Due to their unfavourable morphology related to the specific agro-industrial purpose, their conservation and adaptive reuse constitute a major challenge, even if supported by their historical, technological and, sometimes, even artistic values. For this reason, most of these buildings remained abandoned for a long time and are now affected by a serious material degradation. This study attempts to overcome the difficulties in selecting the best reuse proposal through a multi-criteria decision-making method. This approach makes it possible to effectively compare different scenarios and identify the most satisfactory use for the silos. The multi-attribute decision analysis applied to the case of the silo of Arezzo demonstrates its effectiveness and potential in the context of historic buildings.