Ecomuseo delle Bonifiche: Restoration of a Hydraulic Building

The project concerns the restoration of Bondanello Chiavicone, a hydraulic building. The new function will be an ecomuseum and educational laboratories. The first phase consisted in the restoration of the old building, and the second phase involved the construction of a new volume.

The original building was dated from the 16th, century and its current appearance was determined by a renovation in 1900. In 1960, the building partially collapsed after the river flooded and was rebuilt.

A new reticular steel structure with polycarbonate wall replaces the volume that was destroyed; inside there is a polyvalent space which houses the environmental learning center for the Secchia River Park. The construction materials for the new volume are concrete and steel in order to stand up to the pressure of water and guarantee reversibility.

The new covering in corten steel links the restored façade with the new volume, while revealing the stratification of the interventions. The perception of the façades is dynamic and changes from the different angles, emphasizing the historical façade, the relationship with the contemporary intervention, or the strength of the oxidized steel.

The polycarbonate walls act like a lamp at night, emphasizing the social function of the building and making it into a beacon in the landscape.