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The design project of MUDET (Museo del tartufo Bianco d’Alba), since the concept developed in the design competition, aims to translate in architecture a storytelling of the White Truffle of Alba. In fact, for that territory, the white truffle represents an exemplary and dense history, such as to justify the creation of a dedicated museum. However, this restitution was further enhanced by the interaction and in some ways confrontation with the characteristic of the building that hosts it, the central Maddalena complex, which is both strategic and symbolic in the urban context of Alba.
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The Maddalena Monastic Complex, a building of medieval origin, has been preserved in the fabric of the city until the present day. The complex has many times changed its functions but has not significantly altered its overall architectural layout. By 1877, most of the complex had been acquired by the municipality, which began a new existence aimed to public vocation. The nature of the building changed from being a place of enclosure to being an open space for the use of the citizens of Alba. In fact, today the complex is the site of most of Alba's public functions: the Archaeological and Natural Science Museum (1976), the Civic Library G. Ferrero, the Conference Room Beppe Fenoglio (2014) and the Civic Musical Institute. MUDET fits into this context in the north-east side of the complex.
Already in the design competition, and consequently the beginning of the knowledge of both the building and the dense and articulated history of the Truffle, the proposal unravelled a close and material comparison between the existing structure and the new exhibition. The project was not conceived as isolated elements, but as an exhibition system that enveloped and involved the existing structure. The decision to organise the layout through the rooms themselves implied the creation of passages through the rooms and consequently the possibility of proposing a more traditional, logical and linear exhibition itinerary. In the advanced planning process, thanks to a deeper knowledge of the building and its dense history, the "collision" between the needs for technological adaptation and the overlapping of technologies to support the narrative with the needs to preserve the building's historical characteristics gave rise to the basic idea for the entire layout. The idea was translated with the realisation of a new narrative "wall/surface" juxtaposed to the existing wall structure and integrated with the new systems and technological equipment. This new "skin" therefore has the dual function of accommodating the storytelling and the installations themselves, while masking the facilities from the visitors' perception.
The collision with technical requirements gives rise to an aesthetic effect. The exhibition walls are made of steel panels, removable for potential inspection of the systems. The mono-materiality and monochrome of the exhibition wall are overlapped by the colorful and dynamic world of illustrations and objects of the exhibition, whether printed directly or inserted into integrated glass case.
Starting from the experience gained by Antonello Stella since 1990, ASArchitects, which became STP SRL Company in 2019, is a collective of architects all trained at the Ferrara school in Ferrara, and in the Rome office starting from architects with a common Roman background (in n!studio) already from the 2000s. The studio’s activity is mainly directed towards public clients with particular reference to the design of museums (the renovation and enhancement of the National Archaeological Museum of Taranto is nearing completion), buildings for culture and sports (currently under construction a new gymnasium in Ferrara, the renovation of a sports center in Tresignana, FAB-LAB cultural center in Molinella), schools, completed executive design, following the winning of a Design Competition for three school complexes under the PNRR program in Montesilvano (PE), Villacidro (CA), and Asciano (SI).
