Local Heritage Museum

Fornace Piva history begins in the 20^th century: founded with the intention of developing the production of bricks, it was later used as a warehouse and for the sale of building materials. In recent decades, deprived of its roof and of its original productive purpose, it became an unusable space, except for outdoor events. The aim of the project is to enhance the heritage of the original building, accompanying the visitor on a path to rediscover the past.

The restoration and re-functionalisation design aims to combine high-technology, innovation, functional and spatial optimization, as well as achieving high levels of attractiveness and comfort that can guide people in the new construction to rediscover the existing building.

Its interiors are developed on two levels, with different rooms designed to be used by students and citizens. The flexibility of the interior will guarantee the coexistence of the museum function with those intended for teaching, the lecture hall, and services for the general public. The choice of steel and wood provided for a material vision of the whole, assuring pleasantness and the use of large, bright, and welcoming spaces.

The renovation and restoration of the stone façades is one of the central aspects of the project, while transparency was our focus in order to present the new museum as a large, contemporary, transparent volume, in contrast to the historicised characteristics of the original shell.

The chimney, no longer present, has been re-proposed according to its original dimensions in plan and elevation, according to a new stylized and symbolic volumetry, so as to build an important urban landmark for the city of Riccione.

The Riccione Local Heritage Museum addresses important energy and environmental issues: the historical masonry was studied both to ensure restoration of surfaces, and for contributing to the improvement of internal microclimatic conditions. The new volume is built entirely using a structural steel skeleton and the adoption of intermediate floors and wooden roofing with X-LAM technology. This choice is matched by the glazed façades, large transparent surfaces obtained by means of low-emissivity and selective glass with important values in terms of energy.