design magazine

Article by Konstantinos Deloudis
Posted on April 12th, 2012
in Architecture & Jan Kiplicky

Designed by the late Jan Kiplicky of Future Systems and executed by former associate, Andrea Morgante of Shiro Studio, the Ferrari museum pays homage to the life and work of Enzo Ferrari and his company.  The museum complex is composed of the 19th century family home where the man was born and spent his formative years and a large exhibition space constructed according to Kiplicky’s plans and incorporating many features of the Ferrari corporation.

The newly constructed contemporary exhibition space of the unified complex does not rise above the 12 metres of the original house and workshop. The impressive 3.300 sqm domed aluminium roof, the largest of its type, is in bright yellow, the corporate shade to the background of the rearing stallion insignia of the company. The 10 incisions analogous to the intake vents on a car allow for natural ventilation and the interior semi-transparent ceiling permits natural daylight to illuminate the space. Together with photovoltaic technology, geothermal energy and thermo-sensors in the windows of the facade, make this a unique structure, in fact, the first museum building in Italy to employ such eco-friendly systems. The interior of  the new building is a vast white exhibition space with gently sloping yellow ramps which guide the visitor from the ground floor to the basement of the museum.  There are spaces for up to 21 cars to be shown on raised display platforms at any given time.

The family house and adjoining workshop have been restored to their original condition  by Morgante. The main gallery which is located in the double height workshop contains  a contemporary exhibition display system incorporating digital projections and objects owned by Ferrari as well as details of his life. (1898-1988).