Universit� degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Refurbishment begins at Foro Boario, home of the 'Marco Biagi' Department of Economics: €4.6 million investment

Unimore has officially started work on the refurbishment of the ground floor of the west wing of the MO07 building, located in the Foro Boario complex in Modena, which houses the “Marco Biagi” Department of Economics. The project, which includes the creation of new classrooms and service rooms, aims to meet the growing educational and logistical needs of the Department's students, while also improving the usability and functionality of the university spaces. These works have a total value of approximately EUR 4.6 million.

The refurbishment project, drawn up by a temporary grouping of professionals led by architect Elena Silvestri and including the firm Zecchini & Associati srl, the firm Pampuri srl and engineer Roberto Odorici, envisages the conversion of the existing spaces to create new classrooms and study rooms. The classrooms and service rooms are designed to provide a modern, comfortable environment that meets current educational and technological requirements. Among the most significant interventions are the creation of an auditorium with a capacity of about 280 seats, a 100-seat lecture hall, a third 48-seat lecture hall and three study rooms with 48, 24 and 24 seats respectively. In total, the project will offer 524 new student places, as well as additional short-stay spaces.

The work, entrusted to the company VF Costruzioni e Restauri srl of San Felice sul Panaro (MO), will last a total of 15 months and will be completed by December 2025. The company was selected through a tender, awarded on the basis of the economically most advantageous offer, for an amount of EUR 3,813,069.22 including VAT.

The project was designed with a particular focus on the protection and enhancement of the historical and architectural context of the building, which presents significant characteristics linked to the compositional tradition of the buildings of the Foro Boario. As indicated in the project, all works will be carried out in accordance with the principles of scientific restoration and previous restoration work already carried out on the structure. The project aims to preserve and enhance the existing elements, while ensuring a functional adaptation to modern needs.

The spaces will be equipped with furniture integrated into the architecture and will follow a concept based on order and symmetry, as evidenced by the square modules that characterise the new areas; details that clearly emerge in the renderings, from which the harmonious integration between the new structures and the historic building can be seen.

In addition to classrooms and study rooms, the project envisages the construction of additional service rooms, including a reception area for welcoming guests and speakers, and a room for directing during special events or lectures. The new ground floor layout will be developed around a central hall, from which the various teaching and service spaces can be accessed.

Alongside the refurbishment work on the ground floor, consolidation and redevelopment work was also completed on the “Sebastiano Brusco” Economics Library, which will reopen to the public on Tuesday 1 October 2024. The interventions involved, among other things, improving the safety and usability of the spaces.

In particular, a state-of-the-art wi-fi system was installed, power and USB sockets were added to all study workstations, and the original luminaires were replaced with LED lamps, while retaining the original design of Renzo Piano's “lingotto” luminaires. These interventions, with a total value of EUR 403,000, will significantly improve the experience of students attending the library.

“We are very pleased with this fundamental double step,” commented Unimore Rector, Prof. Carlo Adolfo Porro, “to guarantee our students more modern and functional spaces in this important venue that is the Foro Boario. The new classrooms and services planned will concretely improve the university experience and meet the needs of an ever-growing university. This is an important investment that looks to the future of educational quality, while fully respecting the historical context in which the intervention takes place. The redevelopment of the “Sebastiano Brusco” Economics Library also stems from the desire to adapt the spaces and technologies to very high standards in order to provide students with a modern and welcoming study environment. Unimore continues its concrete commitment to creating ideal conditions for the study and development of knowledge.”

“This is a very happy day for the Department of Economics,” comments Prof. Tommaso Fabbri, Director of the Department, “first and foremost for the students, who were most affected by the protracted work in the library and who today are regaining fundamental spaces for their learning and socialising. But also for all the Department's staff, who see in the launch of the new site important opportunities to improve the Department's training offer, in quality and quantity. I also believe that the complete restoration, both functional and aesthetic, of the Foro Boario will benefit the entire city, for the historical and architectural value of the building and also for the improvement in the liveability of the area that may result from a greater student presence”.

Categorie: Notizie_eng