This area in northern Italy has several names. In Italian, it is the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige, but the indigenous population still calls their land Südtirol (that is, South Tyrol) and, like centuries ago, speaks German.
In 1919, following the results of the First World War, in accordance with the Saint-Germain Peace Treaty, South Tyrol and Trentino passed from Austria to the Kingdom of Italy. When the fascists came to power in Italy, forced Italianization began in the region. The German-speaking - most - part of the population was oppressed, deprived of the opportunity to speak their native language, to preserve traditions. Because of this policy, many were forced to leave their homeland and move to the territory of the former Austria, then belonging to the Third Reich.
But today, arriving in Alto Adige, you will see that any inscriptions or signs are duplicated in two languages - German and Italian. The people of the province will first speak to you in German, but will calmly switch to Italian if necessary. The local cuisine will also surprise you with a combination of traditional Tyrolean and Mediterranean dishes. And what about architecture? We will talk about her.
Museum of Contemporary and Contemporary Art Museion in Bolzano
Architects KSV Krüger Schuberth Vandreike. 2005-2007
In May 2008, the capital of the autonomous province of Bolzano - South Tyrol opened
Museum of Contemporary and Contemporary Art Museion, designed by the Berlin architectural studio KSV. It was supposed to become not only an exhibition center with permanent and temporary exhibitions, but also an open platform for discussions, an art workshop. The main visual requirement for the project, due to its location, was the "implementation" of a smooth transition between the historical center of the city and the so-called zone of the new city.
Designing a museum of contemporary art is a challenge simply because the building itself must be timeless, ideally staying relevant regardless of the passing of the years. "Muzeon" is a simple and laconic 7-storey volume with continuous glazing of both internal and external facades. A gap of about a meter is left between the facades, which is used as a ventilation duct. A special feature of the outer shell of the building is special "blinds" that work as protection from the sun during the day, and in the dark when closed they form screens onto which multimedia works of local and foreign artists are projected.
The interior emphasizes the flexibility of space with a system of movable partitions, multi-scale exhibition spaces and halls for events located on several levels. Muzeon has its own library, laboratories, shop and restaurant on the top floor with a beautiful view of the surroundings.
Part of the architectural composition are two bridges leading to the museum across the Talvera River. For the convenience of pedestrians and cyclists, separate lanes are allocated for them. The bridges, in contrast to the strict form of Muzeon, are curved, but made using all the same materials as the museum: metal and glass.
Both the city authorities and the museum workers notice that they would like it to become not just another “art box”, but a place for a live exchange of knowledge, a laboratory of ideas and creativity. For maximum comfort and quiet work of visiting artists and sculptors, there is even a small residence here, which is very easy to get into - you just need to cross the square in front of the Muzeon.
Opinions about the museum are diverse: visitors note its interesting architecture and comfortable interiors, but the exhibits themselves often cause more negative reactions. As a rule, in order to avoid sharply negative emotions, it is recommended to use the services of a guide or carefully read detailed descriptions of the objects when viewing the exposition (for these accompanying texts, we are grateful to the Muzeon administration, since, unfortunately, they are absent in many contemporary art museums).
And yes - this is exactly the museum whose cleaners last fall
they mistook the installation “We were going to dance all night” for rubbish, which sends the audience to the atmosphere of the stormy parties of the Italian politicians of the 1980s. Not without other scandals: some of the exhibits were opposed not only by the city administration, but even by the Pope.
Now Bolzano is famous not only for its wonderful landscapes, Christmas markets, apple schnapps and speck, but also for belonging to the world of modern art. And, even if you are not big fans of the latter, visiting the Muzeon - or at least inspecting its building from the outside - is still worth it: this is a rare case when it looks even better in person than in photographs, in an ensemble with bridges, square, landscape and reflections in the glass of the museum facades of views of old and new Bolzano.
Cultural Center in Are
Architects Studio Monsorno Trauner. 2012
A few kilometers south of Bolzano is the commune of Ora with a population of about three and a half thousand people. In its historical center, on a site uniting two streets with a height difference between them, there is a cultural center designed by a local bureau -
Studio Monsorno Trauner. There is a German and Italian library in the building, exhibitions and training sessions are held.
The cultural center is radically different in its modern and "introverted" image from the surrounding historical environment. However, the structure of the building is well read from the outside: it is noticeable that most of the rooms are different in height, their functions are easily determined. You can get to the center from both streets. In front of the entrance to the cultural center, Monsorno Trauner architects have created a small neat square, which organically blends into the fabric of the city building.
In the very center of the building there is a reading room, not limited by four walls, but occupying several levels, so that visitors can freely choose a place convenient for work or rest. From the top floor level, there is a public roof terrace.
There is a lot of light in the interior of the building, the color scheme is well chosen, details such as fences made of very inexpensive material - chain-link mesh - look natural.
You do not expect to find such a modern, comfortable building in a very small agricultural commune with traditional buildings, but it is all the more pleasant to discover the new and unexpected architectural face of South Tyrol.
Piazza Angela Nicoletti in Bolzano
Architect Roland Baldi. 2007–2011
The last project that we will consider in this article will be the memorial square of Angela Nicoletti in the center of Bolzano's new district - Oltrisarco-Aslago - designed by the South Tyrol
architect Roland Baldi.
Angela Nicoletti is known to everyone in South Tyrol. As a very young teacher, she secretly taught children German when it was forbidden by the fascist authorities in Italy: German could not be taught even as a second language, after Italian, and the teacher was threatened with prison for such activities. Once in custody, Nicoletti contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of 25.
On 2200 square meters, there are no restrictive elements on purpose: the area is made as open as possible for all kinds of events and outdoor recreation. Its paving follows an abstract pattern, not quoting either the historical ornaments of the medieval city center or the modernism of the new buildings. It is made of light marble "Bianco Laza" (brought from a neighboring town and is famous throughout the region) and black basalt. Both materials are traditionally used for paving in South Tyrol. There is an underground parking under the square, and for this reason the paving stones lie on a special cushion made of polymer sand (this is a material made of sand with the addition of an acrylic binder).
The combination of two opposite colors, black and white, in the pattern, the characteristic curves of the pattern, its abstract forms were not chosen by chance: they symbolize the coexistence and fusion of cultures, often very different, in a small Alpine town. There are only two mobile oak benches on the square. Piazza Angela Nicoletti is an example when the tragedy is not spoken of in frightening images, but with the help of beauty.
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We will definitely continue our conversation about the architecture of South Tyrol. And finally, I will tell you about my first visit to this province. After a long journey from Milan, I went to have lunch in a cafe and, sitting down at a table, I found a menu only in German, which I did not know at that time. Then I turned to the waiter with a request to bring me an Italian menu and, seeing displeasure on his face, I added: "We are in Italy, right?" The locals, who closely watched this scene, literally collapsed with laughter. In general, if they tell you that this region has several names, do not believe it: this is Südtirol, and nothing else.
