Valentino Andriolo: Manifesta 7 in the ex-Alumix, Bolzano

Little remains of the aluminium factory complex in Bolzano, that extends over an area of ten hectares and that once consisted of a power station with transformation plant and three electrolysis halls each with 100 blast furnaces, along with workshops, stores and offices. The transformer plant, at the entrance of the factory site in via Volta, was saved from demolition thanks to the efforts of the architects and conservationists involved. Together with the piazza with its lawn and large pool of water, it once constituted the formal entrance to the factory area. It is rationalist 1930s architecture at its most beautiful and the northern facade, an element visible from the entrance, is of particularly elaborate composition. Klinker bricks in different colours, horizontal and vertical ribbon windows and concrete cornices whose porosity resembles travertine, articulate the surfaces. Large angled windows on the corners of the building give the plant a lightness and transparency that convey a decidedly Modernist feel.

In the summer and autumn of 2008, the ex-transformation plant was used as a gallery and for a hundred days was one of the four exhibition sites of “Manifesta 7”. After this cultural interlude, this monument to the industrialisation of Bolzano will become part of a new technology centre. On the basis of this, Bolzano-based architect Valentino Andriolo developed a concept of refurbishment that was articulated according to long-term interventions - such as the rennovation of the building envelope - and the temporary organisation of the spaces for Manifesta. The facade was cleaned of dirt particles and micro-organisms, without however damaging the patina. Rendered surfaces and cement cornices were made good. The original windows were in rough glass, translucent but not trasparent due to their rough surface, common in industrial buildings of the time. The new glazing for the windows and rooflights is in double-glazed safety glass, consisting of rough glass and float glass, retaining conserves therefore the diaphanous effect of the opal glass. The windows are divided by slender profiles in oil-treated metal.

The structure in reinforced concrete inside is as in a cathedral, with lines that run upwards and continue in the ribs of the roof structure. Surfaces have just been cleaned and where possible left intact. Traces of past use give the space and interesting and stratified aura, reinforced by the suffused light. Thanks to the solemnity of the dimensions and the respectful compositional treatment, it has been possible to transform the hall, without major interventions, into a space ideal for presenting contemporary art.

Manifesta 7 in the ex Alumix, Bolzano
Design: Valentino Andriolo
Client: Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano
Realization: 2007 – 2008