MEIS - NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ITALIAN HEBRAISM AND SHOAH

The dialectic contrast between the ancient function of the building on which intervene (an ex jail) and the new public function of  the National Museum of the Italian Hebraism and Shoah (MEIS), which in that building it must settle, by our judgment, is the true contest theme, the challenges that has to be won to build a perfectly working architectural organism, on the practical plan, and a communicative one on the significance plan.
Our ambition was to achieve a “Speaking Architecture”, a  “transparent” and “open” building, son of our “modernity”, expression of a language capable of  welcoming the “architectural values” of the old building, but at the same time able to modify the original message which tells about exclusion and separation.
Strong of this knowledge, the proposed project is based on the following strategic decisions:
First phase
_ Building of a new volume on Rampari of St. Paul Street,  containing the entry functions, ticket office, cloakroom, introduction to the exposition route and, at the top floor, to the restaurant with terrace. This volume aspires to be the "face" through which the new museum introduces itself and makes itself known to the future users;
_Restoration of the so-called "C-body", and its reuse with public functions on the ground floor (+ 1,85 height. Museum Shop, Coffee-Bar); spaces destined to the consultation and the study on the mezzanine floor (+ 5,50 height. Archives, media library, library and Study Centre) and permanent exhibition areas on the first floor (+ 9,45 height. The “Introductive walk to Hebraism”).
Second phase
_ Partial demolition of the "B-body", keeping only the  façades of most architectural value and building of a new building –over the old one’s footprint- with exposition functions (the section on the “Jewish History in Italy” at  +9,45 height); the space for the Temporary Exhibitions +3,70 height) and services functions (Auditorium, Store, Seminar activities at -1,65 height).

COMPETITION: 2010

Architects
Mario Bellini Architects

Design Team
Mario Bellini, Giovanni Cappelletti, Maurizio Di Lauro

Project Team
Roberta Totaro, Flavia Sandelevski, Luca Bosetti (3D), Alessandro Zufferli (3D), Giovanni Pigni

Consultants
Structure Consultants: Favero & Milan Ingegneria S.p.A., Ing. Nico Marchiori, Ing. Devid Ianniciello
Plants Consultants: STUDIO TI Società d'Ingegneria, Ing. Ennio Menotti, Devis Lombardi, Elisa Mancini
Museologist: Dott. Massimo Negri
Jewish Culture Consultant: Dott. Stefano Jesurum
Architectural Restoration: Arch. Maurizio Momo, Arch. Chiara Momo, Arch. Stéphane Garnero