Palazzo Nervi nel 202?

The local identity of a city cannot only look to the past, but also to innovation and progress, especially when they concern major issues such as work and the environment. It's about having a vision of the future, about working on symbols that embody this perspective and that ask everyone to work on it, to commit and participate. This article talks about one of these symbols and refers to the city of Turin. I am referring to the Palazzo del Lavoro known as “Palazzo Nervi” because it was designed by the architect Pier Luigi Nervi for Italia 61. A truly important symbol for the city. Can the future of this work become a priority on the agenda of decision-makers and citizens?

First of all, good news for Palazzo Nervi. Finally, last September, after some other minimal external adjustments, the renovation of the roof began to avoid irreparable damage from decades of abandonment and neglect. The safety measures will last until 2024. In the meantime, we hope there will be time to decide the destination. It is a 43,000 m2 building. So far, various interesting proposals have been put forward such as the largest conference center in the world, the "Museum of Museums" (i.e. using Palazzo Nervi to exhibit all the collections present in the Turin museums' warehouses together), a center available for any emergencies to ensure humanitarian shelter for people. Among the many proposals, however, I would like to relaunch a proposal on which I have previously expressed my opinion in letters to the newspapers, which was also put forward by the rector of the Polytechnic, prof. Guido Saracco, the journalist and writer Piero Bianucci, the former director of the International Book Fair, Paolo Verri, and many others.

It is an ambitious idea but consistent with the city's aspirations. The proposal is to transform Palazzo Nervi into a place where science and innovation are at home, located right at one of the busiest entrances to the city. A place that simultaneously has research centres, parts of the University and the Polytechnic, start-up headquarters, a university campus, a wide-ranging scientific dissemination structure. There are examples in both the distant and recent past of the city to draw inspiration from. It is enough to mention Experimenta, a very innovative initiative for its time which was then closed years ago when many Italian cities tried to propose similar festivals and exhibitions on technology and science. Thanks to Experimenta I have dealt with new and original interactive and multimedia methods of museum and educational structures, which are so widespread in Europe and around the world, but perhaps still too little in Italy. I believe that in this city there is room for the great novelty of a museum on scientific themes that systematically makes use of new technologies, capable of expanding and broadening the possibilities of knowledge, a place intended for all ages to increase knowledge, especially of complex issues of our society.

Turin has always had and has many personalities capable of experimenting and explaining science. Some of these like Piero Angela and Francesco De Bartolomeis are unfortunately no longer with us, but many others are alive and well and it would be enough to gather them around a table. Perhaps to follow the example of Piero Angela who, as a lover of Turin that he was, had knocked on the doors of many in our city to look for a place to house a large Science Center. Or to discuss the contents of the recent book Tecnosofia by the aforementioned rector of the Saracco Polytechnic and the philosopher of the University of Turin, Maurizio Ferraris (Ferraris-Saracco, Tecnosofia, Technology and humanism for a new science, Laterza 2023). An important text to understand how today scientific and humanistic culture can be brought together in a wise way.

There is a notebook by Angela himself with proposals from which we could start. It would be really important to give shape to his notes and story boards, perhaps trying to go beyond the idea of a Science Center to create a real scientific hub on 360° innovation. In New York the American Museum of Natural History (in Turin the Natural Sciences Museum has yet to reopen for 8 years: perhaps 2023 will be the good year) opened the Richard Gilde Center for Science, Educational and Innovation in February 2023 designed by architect Jeanne Gang. An important space with over 21 thousand square meters of exhibition space and a specific objective: to ignite the spirit of discovery and invite you to explore the Earth and all of its natural history.

Examples like these also give rise to hope for Palazzo Nervi: the extraordinary work of Pier Luigi Nervi deserves large-scale projects, adequate and coherent with its structure. Funds can be found in many ways, among private individuals, in the public sector, with European funds. But before money and material resources, we need an open, imaginative debate and lots and lots of inventiveness. There has been no shortage of it in Turin until now.

Carlo Degiacomi

NP Novembre 2023