Chapel Valmarana is certainly one of the great treasures of the city of Vicenza, but not the only valuable content within the church of Santa Corona: the church not only presents several remarkable works, but it is also good architectural and civic building of exceptional importance.
© ZO_loft architecture & design . Published on May 21, 2013.
For this reason the external path needed to provide accessibility / visitability to the chapel Valmarana, during the restoration of the church, was added by a new meaning to turn it into a multimedia installation able of narrating the past, present and future of the building.
© ZO_loft architecture & design . Published on May 21, 2013.
The aim was not only to illustrate the restoration work to the people of Vicenza, but also to expose removed or protected artworks by linking them to the philological history of the church in a way that, foreshadowing the entry, prepares the faithful, but also tourists, to a more conscious observation of the artistic heritage . Not therefore a merely safety path, but also an open book on the history and techniques to be continually updated, exposing archaeological materials and streaming live from the restoration works. In this way the installation is constantly changing, keeping alive the interest of citizenship for the intervention and at the same time reassuring the community about the proper conduct of the work. The path consists of a system of “walking” and “staying” spaces (also characterized by appropriate lighting systems).
© ZO_loft architecture & design . Published on May 21, 2013.
“Walking spaces” are designed to illustrate the story of the church in relation to the works contained in. It is using a continuous printings on fire retardant fabric “Staying spaces” host projections made in the work site; they also include temporary exposures about artefacts found during restoration, small temporary exhibitions related to the activities of the Curia, the Parish or about town. Along the path several open “windows” made of impact-resistant compact polycarbonate, allow the visitors to see the work of the specialists dealing with different processes or allow the view of meaningful artefacts as the Chapel of the Holy Thorn.
© ZO_loft architecture & design . Published on May 21, 2013.
Along the path several points of support allow to seat for reflection during the visit but also to give opportunities to disseminate information brochures on the activities inherent in the Church.
© ZO_loft architecture & design . Published on May 21, 2013.
The materials used for the structure have great versatility and high strength, fire-retardant treatment. Also the path is fully experienced by disabled people.
In relation to the stages of construction site the path will be developed in two stages: the first part, the most articulate, will allow access to the open half of the church during the first and second phase. The second part will be arranged to coincide with the third phase of construction site to allow safe access just to the chapel Valmarana. The prosecution of the external path inside the church consists of a portion structurally and conceptually similar to the first part of the system, otherwise, in the crypt will be used modular barriers combined with compact impact-resistant polycarbonate panels to allow greater flexibility of location relation to the work involved.