34:34 ReggioEmilia

34:34 Reggio Emilia Site Reggio Emilia, Italy Date 14-21 April, 2023 Host Biblioteca Panizzi RE The...

34:34 Reggio Emilia

Site Reggio Emilia, Italy
Date 14-21 April, 2023
Host Biblioteca Panizzi RE

The site of 34:34 is the heart of the Panizzi Library, the central courtyard around which the entire Library surrounds. Presented as the city’s living room, it enjoys direct access from the entrance as well as through the renovated Loggia Ferraroni.

The project was originally oriented towards designing a place suitable for hosting small events. As the project evolved through listening to the administration’s and the requests of the associations involved, it highlighted the regular need for a meeting and reading space for all the users of the Panizzi Library.

Six different installations were arranged in the courtyard, meeting the different needs:

A platform/stage that is accessible to all, including people with reduced mobility and with visual impairment. Placed in a privileged position, it works as a place to enjoy the events and as an additional stage. 4 different resting spaces provide much-needed shade and a place to sit. Starting from a base module of 2m x 2m, by varying the layout each module gives a different design response to the demands of accessibility and usability for all, enriching itself with functional elements for the purpose. It is here that the vertical element acts as a backrest, while at the same time as a sunshade providing greater comfort to the user outdoors. A long bench already enjoying the shade of the loggia, develops horizontally and breaks the schematic nature of the module, offering an additional shaded area for readers and other library users to look out and up to enjoy the focal point of this much-loved library. In the end, the new courtyard layout is there for the public of Reggio by creating a new valuable space for study, reading, and socializing. A space for all.