Restoration and Development of “Palazzo Massari - Order of Malta”, Ferrara
The project follows the guidelines of the tender preliminary design. Few modifications have been introduced to implement the existing qualities of the preliminary design.
The most significant addition is the new block with bookshop, guestroom and vertical connection system. This new part enhances the north façade and provides the whole building with a new identity. The crownwork line and the rooftop join the gable roof of the pre-existing wing of the building. The façade cladding materials, colours and vertical architectural elements enhance the whole balance of the block.
The design of the ticket-office and entrance area, characterized by a suggestive vertical space as already set in the preliminary design, aims to preserve such space, which is also enhanced by the light from the top glass window. The horizontal part of the glass window is provided with photovoltaic panels. An extremely linear design for a simple construction through the succession of metal blades and glass parts. The new design of the cafeteria is enhanced by a new space thanks to the reopening of the arcades overlooking the park. This solution brings the historical façade back to its original configuration.
The reconnection with the park is carried out through deleting the inadequate ruptures of the twentieth-century fences. Moreover, a central path has been conceived through the facing flowerbed at the hall axis; this is a memory's path proposing the past axial structure.