Resignifying Psychiatric Hospitals for Societal Well-Being: Third Sector Projects in Piedmont, Italy

The closure of psychiatric hospitals in the Western world has resulted in the decommissioning of the physical structures that now present a diverse landscape. These complexes risk abandonment or significant alterations that erase their original features. However, resignifying these spaces can be seen as an opportunity to breathe new life into them through adaptive reuse, preserving their phys-ical and cultural heritage. As scientific research delves deeper into psychiatric complexes, there is a shift in the understanding of mental illness, leading to interventions targeting social vulnerability factors to safeguard societal well-being. This focus is evident in the growing adoption of innovative initiatives driven by third sector organisations, emphasising the intersection of art, health, and social inclu-sion. This paper sheds light on the practices in Piedmont, Italy, and their role in managing former psychiatric hospi-tals. It also reflects on the quality of reuse projects and their impact on societal well-being. The research highlights the potential of actions conducted by third sector interven-tions to resignify assets and their role in activating social and human capital. Finally, it questions the opportunities and challenges of replicating such projects to reactivate decommissioned assets.