Rome has settled on a plan to turn an old military technology factory on Via Guido Reni in the Flaminio district into a forest-themed science museum.
Italian architecture firm ADAT Studio’s concept for the “Science Forest” won the international design competition that drew 70 entries.
It conceived the 19,000-sq-m cultural and education centre as an open air park set within the preserved walls of the former Electronic and Precision Materials Military Plant.
It will be covered by a semi-transparent skin that allows ventilation and enhances the chimney effect. ADAT Studio calls it a “passive bioclimatic box”.
Part of the ground floor will be enclosed, giving a double-height foyer, a cafeteria, a bookshop, and restaurant.
In the park, variously shaped capsules will appear to float, supported by artificial trees and connected by glazed bridges.
Construction is scheduled to start in 2025 and finish in 2027.
ADAT Studio said it is aiming for an 80% reduction in embodied carbon by preserving the existing façade, and using polycarbonate panels for roofing, lightweight facades, and glulam wood.
The design competition was conceived by the Scientific Commission, which is chaired by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Prof. Giorgio Parisi.
A jury that included Daniel Libeskind, Benedetta Tagliabue, Fokke Moerel, and Alessandro D’Onofrio picked the Science Forest concept from a shortlist of five.
“We are thrilled to be commissioned to design and manifest what is undoubtedly one of the most important cultural buildings and urban projects in Rome in the last decade,” says ADAT Studio Partner Andrea Debilio.
“We believe that ADAT Studio’’s acute attention to thought-provoking design and the championing of 21st century environmental measures will result in a museum that can truly elevate educational and cultural experiences in Rome.”
