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In the Italian municipality of Trentino, the historic Equipe 5 sparkling wine cellar repurposed as a cultural and community hub
In a mountain setting in the Italian municipality of Mezzolombardo, Trento, the historic Equipe 5 sparkling wine cellar has been transformed into a multifunctional cultural center for the local community. The project, the work of DAP Studio, has created a versatile architectural space that hosts the municipal library, study rooms, archives, and a conference room.
In the heart of the town’s old center, its setting has a compact urban fabric, with buildings accessed by narrow pathways. A highlight of DAP Studio’s design is the attention paid to the usability of spaces and the creation of meeting places for all age groups, so that the center becomes a focal point of community life.
A key part of the design involved adding elements to the façade to enhance the building’s new role as a public space. These include protruding sheet metal volumes, the entrance enclosure to the library, the balustrade on the service stairs, and a suspended volume marking the entrance to the foyer.
From outside, the former Equipe 5 cellar is a harmonious mix of new and old. Architectural elements such as the Doric colonnade, entrance portals, and the monolithic stone pillars meant that the project needed authorization from the local heritage preservation authority. These elements now frame new openings in the original façade, blending in with the sheet metal volumes with their burnished bronze effect.
There are two entrances. The main entrance, for people arriving from the city center, is via an alley that leads to an internal garden, while a secondary entrance is on Via De Gasperi. Near this second entrance is a small patio that connects to the study rooms. Although surrounded by white corrugated sheet metal, the patio has an open feeling and provides another meeting space.
So that they can be used 24 hours a day, the study rooms can be accessed both from inside the library and from the patio. This flexibility has proved popular with younger users, who’ve made the library a place to meet up with friends.
With 1300 m2 of floorspace, the building includes two areas for its main functions – the conference area and library – with adjoining spaces for study and a children’s area. Between the two spaces are vertical circulation systems that connect the different levels. There’s also a small foyer that leads to all the functions present in the building, including the archives, which are open to the public.
The library’s functional areas are on three levels: street level, a mezzanine floor, and the basement. Resembling a large classroom, the first can be accessed directly from outside or via the filter of the foyer. The reference area, consultation room, and newspaper library are all located here. Within the large open space, whose walls are lined with floor-to-ceiling shelving, informal reading areas alternate with consultation stations on tables, with areas for adults and children, mainly demarcated by low bookcases and furniture.
The checkout desk is centrally located so staff can monitor access to both the library and the conference area. The locations of the vertical circulation systems have been organized in the same way. Elements suspended from the ceiling define the library and resize its space.
The children’s area is in the lower section of the building, adjacent to the main body and connected to the open space area. Lined with timber, the children’s area is a bright and welcoming environment built around steps, shelves, and tables, where everything is within a child’s reach.
Accessed from the foyer and the Via De Gasperi entrance, the conference room is a large space that can host up to 120 people and four speakers. The seats and tables were designed to be easily moved, so that the space can be quickly reconfigured. The conference room includes fully equipped service areas, such as a data center/control room and a book binding area.
At basement level, there are vaulted ceilings, stone pillars, and stone walls with the stone left exposed. New elements, all with an essential design, have been incorporated into this space, including the exposed concrete staircase and elevator shaft, a bookcase, timber stairs, white tables and chairs, and upholstered seating in neutral tones. The lights were positioned under the vaults to delineate the work areas and stairs.
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Location: Mezzolombardo,Trento, Italy
Completion: 2023
Client: Municipality of Mezzolombardo
Architect: DAP Studio
Consultants
Structural: SM Ingegneria
Systems Engineering: Planex
Construction Management: Arch. Paolo Danelli
Main Contractor: MAK Costruzioni
Hanging Fabric Curtains: Medit
Photography by Marco Introini, courtesy of DAP Studio
