Coinciding with its 40th anniversary, Bologna studio Open Project has moved to new headquarters – a restyled historic building in Via Dolfi, between Porta Lame and Porta San Felice.
Just a stone’s throw from MAMbo, the Museum of Modern Art of Bologna, this creative hub not only houses the practice’s offices but, beginning next year, will also host a busy program of events, exhibitions, and talks.
The offices are inside a 16th-century complex that once housed an oratory, a hospital, and the Church of the SS Trinità, one of the twelve churches built on Bologna’s third ring of walls. Even today, the geometric structure of the walls can be seen in the three street-level arches, as well as in the adjoining outdoor area, now a public park.
Over the years, the function of the building has changed several times, going from a church to a dance hall and then a carpentry shop.
Open Project’s new headquarters provide 1200 m2 of floor space on three levels. The renovation project, undertaken by the studio itself, focused on achieving a balance between modernization and conserving the building’s historical identity, while creating a contemporary, functional office environment.
The project involved several structural changes, the restoration of valuable architectural and decorative elements, and the modernization of the systems and acoustics, with the addition of functional and comfortable internal fittings, such as a soundproof booth, also designed by the studio, at street level.
All the workstations are in an open-plan space to encourage discussion and exchange, with further areas for teamwork, large meetings, and a breakout area.
During the renovation, two rows of frescoes were discovered in the main room on the second floor, where the ceiling is over ten meters high. Creating a contrast with the frescoed walls, the back wall of this room was left unfinished to highlight the building’s centuries-old history.
“I firmly believe that the collaborative, team-based approach that we bring to project development is a unique strength of our company. This has been Open Project’s approach from the outset, and the challenge we face today is to update it to meet the needs of a constantly evolving world with its shifting scenarios and dynamics.
Looking back over Open Project’s first 40 years, we can definitely say that there have been many social, technological, and cultural changes, all of them reflecting an unpredictable, ever-changing broader scenario. These 40 years have taught us not to rest on our laurels, but to explore, study, change, and, sometimes, make mistakes, as we perfect our method and approach”.
“Our projects grow out of listening, understanding, interpreting, creating, and then telling a story. It’s all about dynamic, collaborative creativity, and nothing to do with a single architect working in isolation. And this was how we designed our new headquarters in Via Dolfi. It’s not just an office, but a place for exchanging ideas and energies that’s open to the city and the contributions of our various stakeholders.
My hope is that I’ve contributed to creating a place for interaction where there’s an overarching beauty to the story of the whole rather than just its aesthetics”.
>>> Also discover the work of photographer, artist and designer Niccolò Morgan Gandolfi
Location: Bologna, Italy
Completion: 2024
Architect: Open Project
Lighting: Artemide
Doors: Garofoli
Photography by Vincenzo Ruocco, courtesy of Open Project