Valorizzazione del Museo di Storia Naturale

The design for the Museum of Natural History in Ferrara is intended to celebrate the collections of objects, animals, habitat representations, discoveries, etc. with extraordinary scientific/cultural/educational features. The austere and rational 20th century building conceals a chamber of wonders (wunderkammer). The design objective is the creation of a museum-laboratory, made up of multifunctional, accessible, adaptable and dynamic exhibition spaces. The idea for the preservation and enhancement of the Museum of Natural History, stems from a careful analysis of the building, the context in which it is inserted and the cultural heritage present inside; combining on the one hand the needs of the administration and the requirements of the Museum’s managers, on the other hand respect for the constraints and interferences present. The system of vertical connections, conceived as a promenade, connects all the floors, solving the problems of accessibility; its volumetric conformation leaves space inside the courtyard, favouring the enlargement of the Botanical Garden. The location of the staircase-elevator body allows for the circularity of the museum route and immediate evacuation in case of emergency. Furthermore, the architectural intervention implements the exhibition space, offers the possibility of panoramic views of the surrounding urban landscape and on the top floor generates a multifunctional study space.