16 architectural projects for a new museum location
As part of an urban planning seminar, students from the IUAV University of Venice envisioned what a new South Tyrolean Provincial Museum of Archaeology could look like in Bolzano and, moreover, how a new museum and cultural area would fit into the city.
From 21 March to 2 April 2024 designs and models were exhibited in Landhaus 11 on Rittner Straße in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano. This was documented in the photo series below and in an article published in the South Tyrolean architecture magazine “Turris Babel” 2024.
Under the guidance of Professors Carlana, Pace, and Trovò, a dozen fifth-year architecture students at the IUAV University of Venice designed concepts for the new provincial archaeology museum located on the premises of Villa Gasteiger in Bolzano. The plot of land is situated between Dante Straße and the meadows along the Talfer/Talvera River. The prison site next door was also taken into consideration because it will become available in the near future.
“The interesting thing for students was the opportunity to be confronted with a real project,” stated enthusiastically architect Michel Carlana, who directed the students. “On the one hand, they had to consider the needs of the museum and the conditions of the area. On the other hand, they had the opportunity to freely design an important future cultural spot in the city of Bolzano. We tried to create an inclusive and welcoming space, connected to the urban fabric and the local community. The goal is to feel at home even if we are in a collective space”.
The student initiative was proposed by the Bolzano cultural association Restart BZ under Renato Sette: “The starting point was a study to determine a new location for the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology carried out by the architects weber+winterle on behalf of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano. Using the guidelines formulated therein, we introduced the students to the topic of the provincial capital and the need to design a museum that is not only an attraction for many guests from all over the world, but above all an open and accessible meeting place for citizens of the capital and the province.”
The sixteen project proposals took several other factors into consideration including accessibility by public transport, proximity to the train station, the cycling and pedestrian network, and the sustainability of the new cultural center.
This initiative gave interested citizens and those responsible for the Autonomous Province of Bolzano the opportunity to test and try out ideas that could later form the basis of the architectural competition for the new South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology.
Photos:
(c) South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology
