NEW - STYLE GLOBAL CULTURAL HUBS

     When, on 1609, Federico Borromoe established the Bibloteca Ambrosiana, for the first time, a cultural instituion opened its doors to the public, enabling not just the consultation of books and manuscripts but also the use of  "paper, pen and ink", as witnessed by the Italian novelist Alessandro Manzoni.
     Since than, four centuries have passed, and the world of culture has changed utterly, especially in recent decades. In past centuries, libraries theatres and museums formed largely autonomous entities, in which different forms of knowledge were studied and developed without, however, engaging in direct confrontation. Today, the sector has undergone a radical change , creating and perfecting new hubs in which the different media of culture intersect and engage in a constructive exchange. This has led to the development of great museum complexes, in which permanent exhibitions spaces are flanked by areas for temporary exhibitions, sector-related specialist libraries, and halls dedicated to music, seminars, debates and presentations. Furthermore, technology features strongly, providing adequate solutions for these complex projects.

Pompidou Centre © Flickr- username: Andrew Bowden

     An undoubtedly emblematic starting point for this new type of museum is the Pompidou Centre in Paris, designed by Richard Rogers and Renzo Piano specifically as an interdisciplinary structure, synthesis of an innovative and far sighted political strategy and of advanced technological research. These have led, also on a perceptual level, to the creation of remarkable "cultural system" in the heart of the Parisian urban fabric.
     Since it opened in 1997, much has been said about this form of architecture and its functionality, but certainly no one can deny its role as a prototype for a long series of buildings around the world, similar in function and increasingly articulated. Indeed, every subsequent example has added something new and different. Without moving beyond the confines of the city of Paris, if we take a look at the Musée D'Orsay, inagurated in 1986, we can see that herer the "cultural system" has gone so as to take over what onnce a railway station, in which the exhibition spaces unfold under the large glass vaults that once covered the rail tracks.
     The aim is not to erase the past, but to bring it in line with modern functions. This new way of producing and offering culture is expanding fast. To quote another Europian example, London too has looked to a historical service related building for another important "culture system". In this case, a power station, built in the fifties and later decommissioned, was recovered and transformed by Herzog and de Meuron, into a large museum complex and contemporary art: the Tate Modern (2000). Freed of its machinery, the building has preserved its enormous Turbine Hall, in which from time to time huge sculptures and installations are displayed, offering artistic effects on a macro-scale. The large parallelepiped building, marked by a high chimney at its center, has been emptied of its technical equipment to give way to exhibition spaces, service facilities, libraries and meeting places. Its posiiton overlooking the River Thames accentuates its relationship with the city, not just for the breathtaking views from the upper floors, but also through its link with the other side of the river via the pedestrian bridge, foreshortening its distance from the city. The builng is now expanding further to accommodate new features.

Tate Modern © Flickr- username: m.a.r.c.

     Another museum complex that is worth mentioning for its strong historical and political significance, both past and present, for its architecture, and for the high quality of its modernisation interventions, is the Museum Island in Berlin, a complex of buildings designed in nineteenth century to house collections from successive artistic eras, from ancient times to the contemporary art of the time.
    Each of the five factories comprising the site was conceived by its designers as a strong and symbolic expression of german neoclassicism: from the Altes Museum, designed between 1822 and 1830 by K.F. Schinkel to house the collection of antiques of Frederick William III, to the Neues Museum, built by F.A. Stùler in 1855 and severely damaged during World War II, from the Alte Nationalgalerie, created to house the works od nineteenth century Germany, to the Bode Museum, created in !907 to display art from the Byzantine period and from late antiquity. Last but not least is the Pergamon Museum, (1930), home to important classical antiquities, including the Pergamon Altar.
     The reason for mentioning the Museum Island in this context is the extensive renovation project conducted following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Having been heavily damaged bby bombing, the complex had been abandoned and the works of art divided between the two parts of the city. Only the Pergamon Museum had remained as a cultural attraction. Following the reunification of Germany, by popular and political acclaim - the same that led to the demolishment of the nearby parliament building of the former German Democratic Republic - work commenced on each of the five museums, with a view to restoring them to their original vocation. The momentum was such that work was rapidly completed, with successful restoration and fitting-out interventions. Particularly worthy of note is the masterly restoration of the Neues Museum, conducted by David Chipperfield and concluded in 2009. The architect not only managed to preserve and surviving walls, columns and fragments of plaster, but also to restore and enhance the original atmosphere, through the expert use of materials and impressive perspectives on particale works of art. Overall, the complex was transformed into a modern museum centre, harmonious in its diversity, bearing witness to a past that inspired UNESCO to declare it a World Heritage Site in 1999.
   

Neues Museum © Flickr- username: t1m0b

A similar process of creating new and innovative cultural spaces has, in recent years, seen the involvement of the world of music, once tied to traditional theatres in which the hall constituted the fundamental space of the building.
     Today, this sector has undergone a great transformation giving rise to complexes housing many functions alongside the musical element. It is on the wave of these developments that in 2002 Renzo Piano developed his Parco della Musica in Rome, which reinterprets traditional feature to create a series of halls, great symphonic events and rock concerts find a venue equally suitable for their particular requirements. Ate the same time, other cultural elements find space to coexist: recording studios, rehearsal halls, shopping areas, meeting points and strolling areas, as well as a museum, a library and a music archive. The large outdoor auditorium can accommodate up to 3000 spectators. Even more emblematic, in that it brings together art, science and industry, is the Parc de la Villete, a large technology park on the outskirts of Paris. Here, the most diverse functions have gradually been established since the mid-eighties.
     In addition to green areas, thereis the Citè des Sciences et des Industries, inaugurated in 1986, a parallelepiped-shaped complex covered by two transparent domes, making this the largest technical and scientific museum in Europe.
     Nearby is the Citè de la Musique, with a Conservatory, a Music Museum and an elliptical concert hall, designed by Christian de Portzamparc "comme une suite musicale. C'est là, dans cette expèrience du mouvement, des enchainements, des surprises, que l'architecture rejoint la musique." The site is currently being expanded with the Philharmonie, anouther music venue, this time designed by Jean Nouvel.
     In short, we can observe that, as museum has become an area of artistic enrichment, socialisation and leisure, so, in the world of music, the harsh theatre, has been replaced by complex structures in which the concept of culture is becoming increasingly universal. Modern man not only strives to bring together the various worlds and venues of knowledge, but unites them with moments of socilisation, entertainment and internationality, bearing witness to the globalization of art.