Transforming a hospital complex into a cultural center with a movable roof,
International design and innovation studio Carlo Ratti Associati and Italo Rota have
revealed their plan to transform an 18th-century hospital complex into a multidisciplinary cultural center in Modena, Italy.
This is to transform an eighteenth-century hospital complex into a multidisciplinary cultural center in Modena, Italy.
Design features
The project is set to be built as part of a master plan called AGO Modena Fabbriche Culturali.
Designed with artist-architect Chuck Hoberma,
the team is adding a kinetic roof to the hospital’s rooftop plaza as part of a broader, progressive vision to restore historic buildings.
The venerable former hospital complex in Modena will acquire a new identity,
transforming into one of the main cultural and innovative centers of the country.
At the heart of the complex is a triangular court, topped with an origami-like floating roof,
designed by CRA and artist-architect Chuck Huberman.
The restoration project proposes great flexibility,
so that the building can adapt to changing requirements and configurations in the future.
Design form
The complex comprises a total of 20,000 square meters (210,000 square feet),
and the design team follows an experimental design approach.
It combines the practice of preserving architecture with the dynamic qualities of kinetic architecture,
which is commonly used in temporary installations.
This is best characterized by one of the main plazas of the AGO,
where the kinetic ceiling creates several spatial experiences
The structure is lightweight and foldable and opens and closes as easily as origami.
This transforms this long-neglected courtyard into a social space adaptable to various climatic conditions and functions.
The new structure will also be covered with photovoltaic panels,
harvesting solar energy to help power the complex.
The roof structure was created in collaboration with CRA and Hoberman, one of the world’s leading experts in dynamic structure design.
And former collaborator with the US space agency NASA.
Cultural spaces must also be seen as dynamic and capable of incorporating change over time.
The changing nature of the built environment, in turn,
allows for a participatory approach to stimulating cultural production. AGO architecture creates flexible and reconfigurable spaces,
where past and future complement each other
While historical and contemporary elements are preserved in other parts of the complex.
Through the impressive ‘Tenaglie’ corridors, which get their name from their distinctive pincer-like vaults.
Another kinetic installation leads people to a new rooftop terrace, now a garden.
Where one can enjoy a bird’s-eye view of Modena’s old rooftops and church domes.
Since the complex had so much of its past,
they thought their design should allow it to embody many futures. Ago Modena
It is the perfect embodiment of this approach as it brings together museums,
training and co-working space under one roof.
Design site
The AGO site is located at the entrance to the medieval city center of Modena,
whose ruins are part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The massive hospital complex was built in the mid-18th century,
with a sense of simplicity that hints at its function as Sant’Agostino’s local hospital.
An earlier, unrealized restoration was developed by architect Gae Aulenti in 2012.
The CRA also stated that once completed, the AGO Modena will become a site uniting various institutions in the visual arts,
digital culture, and educational experimentation.
Created by the City of Modena, the Fondazione di Modena, the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia.
The AGO will host several entities across many disciplines, including the Modena Visual Arts Foundation.
and the Museo della Figurina dedicated to collectible cards and the interdepartmental research center on the digital humanities.
AGO Modena embodies CRA’s experience in providing innovative design solutions to high-value building restoration challenges.
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