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Sumit Singhal
Sumit Singhal loves modern architecture. He comes from a family of builders who have built more than 20 projects in the last ten years near Delhi in India. He has recently started writing about the architectural projects that catch his imagination. New Cultural Center in Ranica, Italy by DAP studio & Paola GiaconiaJune 4th, 2011 by Sumit Singhal
Article source: DAP studio & Paola Giaconia Ranica, a small medieval town in the outskirts of Bergamo, Italy, can now enjoy a piece of contemporary architecture: the new Cultural Center by DAP studio and Paola Giaconia.  The south facade with the library entrance (photo: Alessandra Bello)
 The library entrance courtyard (photo: Alessandra Bello)
 The library entrance courtyard (photo: Alessandra Bello)
 The reading spaces on the upper floor (photo: Alessandra Bello) Contractors:
 The inner courtyard (photo: Alessandra Bello) Building program
 The west facade (photo: Alessandra Bello) In a moment of weakness and vulnerability for the state of culture in Italy, Ranica responds to the situation by opening this new building, devoted to education, to community, and to intellectual energy.  The south facade with the library entrance (photo: Alessandra Bello) The Cultural Center -which opened to the public in the spring of 2010 and contains a public library, an auditorium, a kindergarten, and a school for dance and theater- substantiates the effective synergy between the public administration of this small town in Northern Italy and the architects. The project is a manifestation of optimism in the current controversial system of Italian public works. Recently the project was awarded first prize by the Institute of Architects in Bergamo as the best building in Bergamo and in its province in the last ten years. The jury, chaired by Swiss architect Aurelio Galfetti, selected the project for the new Cultural Center in Ranica as the Best Public Building.  The south facade with the library entrance (photo: Alessandra Bello) The city of Ranica, in the province of Bergamo, Italy, inaugurates its new Cultural Center. The project, designed by DAP studio and Paola Giaconia, is the outcome of a competition launched by the Municipality of Ranica in 2005 to endow the town with an important institution that would augment its cultural and social life.  The reading spaces on the upper floor (photo: Alessandra Bello) The recently opened cultural center was completed in less than two years of construction, and represents a new cultural and urbanistic beacon in the territory, laying the foundations for an alternative urban organization. Thanks to this new building, the medieval town is able to revitalize its historical urban fabric by fastening it to a new contemporary hub, capable of nourishing the surrounding territory. In its devotion to culture and cultural enrichment, the institution plays a fundamental role in defining the spaces for the community. “The Cultural Center is conceived as a new catalyst of urban life. Not only is the building a laboratory for education and information, but it also becomes a new “piazza” where people can meet and where citizens can reinforce their sense of belonging to their territory,” the architects explain.  The library courtyard (photo: Alessandra Bello) The building, located between the historical nucleus of the town and the area of urban growth, is the physical hinge of the resulting urban structure. With its sharp and pristine image and soft color nuances alternative to the surrounding buildings, the Cultural Center stirs the urban landscape aesthetically and winks at the silvery shimmers of the nearby mountains and at the warm shades of dawn or sunset. The south facade with the library entrance (photo: Alessandra Bello) “The “piazza” has always been defined in history by the physical and visual limits of the buildings that surround it- With our project -the architects say- we wanted to blur the sharp distinction between solid and void. We opened up the building to the city and welcomed pedestrian flows up to its very core.”  The library entrance (photo: Alessandra Bello) The building -housing a public library, an auditorium, a kindergarten, and a school for dance and theater- is made of two volumes, one laid on top of the other, centering on an interior courtyard capturing natural light and attracting pedestrians. The building hosts a new “piazza”, a new meeting point for the citizens. In this sense, the project for the new Cultural Center reconceives the ground. Beginning at grade, the building establishes new links with the city and makes its presence felt as it rises two floors above the ground. It maintains harmony with the surrounding landscape, which inspired its design, through predominantly horizontal lines at the floor and ceiling planes of each volume. The lower volume is transparent, revealing the activities which take place inside to passersby, stirring their curiosity. The upper volume sits on its top and becomes an urban signal. Its translucent polycarbonate sheets glow with vibrant tints and allow the silhouettes of people to be seen through the colorful watery facade.  New Cultural Center (photo: Alessandra Bello) The snow-white and sober interiors reveal a complexity which endows the spaces and the activities taking place in pag. 4 MEDIA AGENCY them with a powerful dynamism. “In the vast double-height space of the library,” the architects explain, “the various functional areas appear as independent volumes, connected by means of elevated catwalks and visually linked to the central patio.” The interior spaces become a representation of a lively urban scene where the various places are connected by a grid of paths, to be walked through as well as enjoyed in moments of pause and encounter.  The library entrance courtyard (photo: Alessandra Bello)  Aerial photo of Ranica and of its New Cultural Center  Ground floor plan  South West elevation  Section
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Category: Cultural Center |
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