The MART
in Rovereto
photo by M. Fogliarini (Rovereto 31 Jan 04 - 11 Nov 08 )
translation by Josie Ciccarelli
The MART of Rovereto, inaugurated December 15th 2002, has been projected by the Ticinese architect Mario Botta in collaboration with Engineer Giulio Andreolli from Rovereto.
This great architectural complex is the main MART center, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto born in 1987 as autonomous body of the Provincia Autonoma of Trento, that takes advantage of three exhibitions centers. The other two centers are: the Renaissance Palazzo delle Albere in Trento and the Fortunato Depero Museum in Rovereto.
The MART develops In Rovereto in an area that is a step back in comparison to the front road, behind two eighteenth-century buildings, the Palazzo dell’Annona, today center of the civic library, and the Palazzo Alberti, with which harmonizes the covering of the building in yellow stone of Vicenza. The new structure leaves untouched the stylistic unity of the two buildings that lean along Corso Bettini and hide the ampleness of the access plaza to the museum.
The construction of the building, that develops in the area among Corso Bettini and the behind hilly area, has involved a stripping of the ground and the construction of bulkheads in armed cement about 22 meters high, held back by steel connecting rods.
The space that separates the two buildings has become a wide corridor of access to the circular plaza from which the Museum can be accessed and that, up to a little while ago has been the ideal scenery for the sculptures of Mimmo Paladino in yellow Vicenza’s stone.
The dome of glass and steel that covers the plaza has a surface of 1300 sqm., a height of 25 mt, a diameter of 40 mt and is perforated in correspondence of the fountain located in the center of the plaza. This dome derives from particular static studies as deprived of a truss in coincidence with the pedestrian area of access to the Museum.
The structure of the museum articulates on four floors.
On the ground floor are located the reception, the info point, the book-shop, the caffetteria, the conference room and the wardrobe.
On the underground floor, which is accessed by the ground floor, are located the 900’ Archives and the Library.
On the first floor there are the areas devoted temporary exhibition activities, the didactic section, the offices.
On the second floor a glass and steel passageway conducts to an area of about 3800 sqm: it is the center of the permanent collection of the museum, organized in two ample sectors. The plan is illuminated by 183 skylights that spread the natural brightness with an articulated system made to drive and modulate the light.
View of Corso Bettini over which leans out, to the left,
the access corridor to the MART.
The MART seen from the access corridor.
View of the access corridor and the Palazzo dell’Annona with
the reflexes created by the glass and steel dome of the MART.
The access corridor to the MART and the glass and steel
passageway seen by the circular plaza in which the
sculptures of Mimmo Paladino can be seen.
The glass and steel dome which overlooks the access plaza
to the museum. In the pictures the sector where the truss
is missing and the hole positioned near the fountain
in the center of the plaza can be seen.
Another image of the glass and steel dome.
The plaza and the sculptures of Mimmo Paladino reflected
on a glass door.
The sculptures of Mimmo Paladino around the fountain.
Some sculptures.
Particular of a sculpture.
Particular of a sculpture.
Particular of a sculpture.
Particular of a sculpture.
Particulars of two sculptures.
The plaza and the dome seen by a loophole window.
The plaza as it appears today, deprived of the sculptures of Mimmo Paladino.
Corridors, landings, passageways and skylights.
Passageway and skylights.
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