The architectural concept of the Centro
The new entrance
Report by the architects of the project, Michele and Francesco Bardelli www.bardelli.ch
The International Centre for Sculpture will be a landmark at the entrance of the village: arriving on the main road the new buildings of the Centro will be seen at first glance. The new centre consists of three different elements that fit in with the present environment, emphasising its characteristics while at the same time highlighting the different functions of the project. The main building, situated parallel to the main road and with the main entrance facing the village, has a foyer, a spacious exhibition room with double room height and a library. The basement comprises a room for seminars, store-rooms, and three stone, wood and metal workshops that give access to the outdoor work site. In the administration block, next to the local telephone exchange, are the offices, the apartment for the management and the five onebedroom flats for visitors to the centre. The seven studio apartments, directly adjacent to the work site, serve as lodgings for those sculptors from home and abroad who have been selected to study and work at the centre. Because of the juxtaposition of the different buildings that, alternately, serve public (exhibition and administrative rooms) as well as private (studios and apartments) purposes the coming together of innovative ideas will be facilitated. The spacious work site where the sculptors carry out their work will become the focal point of the centre.
The architectural design of the Centro is characterised by clear and simple building shapes and outer surfaces, precise repetition of the units, and by minimal use of building materials. Its formal design is congruous with the unpretentiousness and dignity of the local buildings. The Centro will be an integral part of a village seeking to become internationally known for its locally extracted marble that will be transformed into works of art by the skilled hands of sculptors.
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