When a British workshop won this architectural competition in 2004, it was about the Maserati Museum, a brand that was then owned by Ferrari, but then it was decided to dedicate the Museum to Enzo Ferrari, combining the new building and his birthplace into an exhibition complex. In 2009, the Future Systems bureau collapsed, and its head Jan Kaplicki died, so the implementation was carried out by GAP Andrea Morgante with the participation of his new workshop Shiro Studio. He also acted as the exposition designer.
The main part of the building is a bright yellow curved aluminum roof; with an area of 3,300 m2, this is the largest overlap of this material, therefore, during the construction, consultations of shipbuilding engineers were required, who were well acquainted with the creation of large volumes of complex profiles from metal. Its surface is cut through 10 transverse windows - "air intakes", reminiscent of the Ferrari body design. Sunlight gets inside through them, and on hot days - fresh air. Modena yellow is the signature color of Ferrari (against this background the black horse of her brand prances), and also the official color of Modena.
The concave main glazed facade of the building seems to embrace the nearby house of Enzo Ferrari. This building, built by his father in the 1830s, houses a biographical exhibition in former living spaces and a large workshop, as well as administrative offices.
So that the museum does not exceed the height of the neighboring house, it is partially recessed into the ground. The interior of the new building is a single exhibition hall, where the white floor and walls smoothly flow into each other. The ceiling is covered with a light membrane reminiscent of the roof covering of a car interior. There, 21 vehicles can be exhibited at a time, each of which is raised 45 cm above the floor to emphasize the beauty of its design.
The bookstore, café, ticket office and toilets are enclosed in two yellow "modules" flanking the entrance from the inside. The building also houses a conference room and an educational center.
Among the eco-technologies used are natural ventilation (windows open automatically, according to the indications of a thermo-sensor), a geothermal system for cooling and heating premises, the use of "gray" water and solar energy.
It should be noted that this is not the first time that Ferrari has worked with prominent architects: on the territory of its plant in Maranello there are
the wind tunnel body designed by Renzo Piano and the Massimiliano Fuksas Research Center.
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