New Archiepiscopal Archive Center

The project involves the conversion of the former Cinema Roma, which is part of the former Archbishop Ricreatorio , and is aimed at the creation of the new Diocesan Library and Archives of Ravenna. The intervention is particularly strategic because it develops the theme of urban regeneration and re-use of a central building, being close to Piazza del Duomo, and also abandoned : the reutilization of the building and public use will confer "new life" to the property while enhancing the surrounding urban fabric . The new library will be developed on three floors and will feature a large room with triple height that will occupy the entire volume of the former movie theater. The ground floor will be devoted to the enjoyment of the public , while the remaining two floors will be reserved for service personnel and used mostly as offices , workshops and stores, to the exclusion of the room reserved for the " ancient manuscript and writings ", with a controlled access . The project aims at an optimization of the existing spaces to provide high storage capacity of the number of volumes and for integration with the new intended uses , through a simple solution which basically goes to reuse the volume of  the former cinema as one big container triple-height for books. A large rack placed inside the volume , integrated with a system of metal bridges , make the book the protagonist of the new library , object hinge inside the large volume triple-height of the new building . The large space characterizing the entire project will be an introverted space , which is revealed to the outside through the scanning of existing openings in the facade and that, in addition to the archive library , will also feature a multi-purpose hall open to the public for consultations open book and conferences or exhibitions . A large skylight in the roof , place linearly at the ridge , light up the blanks below and bind all areas of the library. Three wooden trusses cover the gap between the two longitudinal walls . The great room and archive consultation will be in direct visual contact and fruition with the newspaper library. Here is provided the only solution manifests itself in architectural facade , a small insert that will host the contemporary headline of the Diocesan Library and Archives and will contain sliding gates for the closing night of the little portico of existing access.