In Piacenza , the relationship between architecture, historical heritage, and museum function is at the heart of the exhibition *Intorno alla Ricci Oddi: Studies and Projects for the Gallery’s Spaces*, the result of a collaboration between the Polytechnic University of Milan and the Ricci Oddi Gallery of Modern Art. Curated by Piero Poggioli, the exhibition will be open to the public free of charge from September 18 to October 4, 2026, in the gallery’s cloister and features a selection of studies and projects created by faculty and students from the School of Architecture, Urban Planning, and Construction Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano.
The project stems from a series of research initiatives focused on the characteristics and potential of the historic museum complex, with the aim of analyzing its structure while simultaneously exploring possible scenarios for its spaces. The first section brings together the results of digital surveying activities carried out under the direction of Livio Pinto as part of the Surveying and Representation Laboratory and the Course on Surveying Techniques and 3D Modeling for Architecture, both based at the Politecnico’s Piacenza Campus. These studies formed the basis for subsequent activities carried out through thesis projects, university courses, and professional work.
The main part of the exhibition, however, is dedicated to projects developed by Piero Poggioli together with Fausto Cesena, Matteo Fraschini, and Micaela Bordin, with the involvement of students from last academic year’s Architecture and Architectural Composition course. The theme addressed is the design of new spaces for the Ricci Oddi, with the aim of improving its functionality and creating environments capable of hosting events and temporary exhibitions.
Through drawings and three-dimensional models, a selection of works created by over one hundred students from the Milan Polytechnic’s Lecco Campus, enrolled in the Bachelor’s Program in Construction Engineering and Architecture, is presented. The students were asked to identify and evaluate various intervention options compatible with the existing structure. The workshop was structured according to experimental research criteria rather than current design practice; therefore, the works on display are not intended to propose immediately implementable solutions but rather to spark a discussion about interventions in historical and architectural contexts of particular significance.
The theme focuses specifically on buildings intended for public cultural functions, which are called upon, on the one hand, to adapt to new functional needs and, on the other, to identify—through well-developed projects—new possibilities for the use of these spaces. The proposals presented take various directions: from the creation of small, temporary pavilions in the grounds to the reuse of spaces within the historic monastery, to possible expansions of the exhibition space—in some cases concealed and in others deliberately highlighted.
The exhibition will be accompanied by a seminar scheduled for Friday, October 2, 2026, from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., also at the Ricci Oddi Gallery of Modern Art. The event, curated by Piero Poggioli, will bring together faculty and students who participated in the project, as well as other faculty members from the Polytechnic, experts and professionals in the fields of architectural design, restoration, preservation and conservation, architectural history, art history, urban history and urban planning, exhibition design, and museography. The discussion will focus on the opportunities and limitations of architectural projects when they are implemented in monumental contexts characterized by significant historical and artistic importance.
The seminar will conclude with a presentation by architect and designer Piero Lissoni, who designed the recently completed restyling and restoration project in the Ricci Oddi galleries. The initiative is designed as a dialogue among disciplines that, in practice, may operate in distinct fields, and aims to offer a multidisciplinary approach geared toward the public, institutions, professionals, and students. The seminar is free and open to the public; participation also allows architects to earn 4 CFP credits.
The exhibition will be open free of charge Tuesday through Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. The exhibition and seminar are organized with the support of the Politecnico di Milano—Department of Architecture, Construction Engineering, and the Built Environment—and the Piacenza Regional Campus, and are promoted by these institutions in collaboration with the Ricci Oddi Gallery of Modern Art. Both initiatives are held under the patronage of the City of Piacenza and the Order of Architects, Planners, Landscape Architects, and Conservators of the Province of Piacenza.
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| Piacenza: How to Transform the Ricci Oddi? Over 100 Projects from the Milan Polytechnic |
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