Castello di Rivoli, Turin, Italy

ismet sayÄąn

conservatÄąon theory

arch 332

castello di rivoli, turin, italy

History of the project

The castle was the first place of public veneration of the Shroud of Turin.

The castle then experienced a period of decline. In 1559, the Treaty of Cateau-CambrĂŠsis forbade the Duke Emmanuel Philibert from residing in Turin until he had a male child. He therefore resided in the Castle of Rivoli, having it restored by architect Ascanio Vitozzi. In 1562 heir Charles Emmanuel I was born, and he returned to Turin. Works on Vitozzi's designs were brought on until 1644 under Carlo and Amedeo di Castellamonte, with the construction of the so-called Manica Lunga, intended to house the Savoy Gallery, the sole 17th-century part of the edifice still visible today.

Numerous works of art were however stolen by French troops in the following years.

New works began after 1706.

The castle was first abandoned and then transferred to the Municipality and rapidly degraded over the last century; it took years of restoration to be able to reopen to the public as the site of the new museum.

renovatÄąon project

The Castello di Rivoli Museum of Contemporary Art was established taking into account the prestigious architectural remains of the building in which it is located and pays particular attention to the multiple forms of expression of contemporary art by housing theatre performances, concerts, exhibitions of films and artistic videos, series of meetings, but also symposia and round tables dedicated to all the artistic disciplines.

The first museum devoted to contemporary art in Italy, Castello di Rivoli is a beacon for the art world. Since it opened in 1984, it has continuously presented innovative exhibitions and radical art performances, while remaining sensitive to the unique Baroque castle that hosts it. Designed in 1718 by Filippo Juvarra, the castle is a constant source of inspiration for artists. Its architecture and history inspire the creation of new works conceived specifically for the Museum’s Permanent Collection.

Before Intervention

Castello di Rivoli is a building without the time and without an architect - or, to be more precise, it is a building of many ages and many architects.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the castle passed through generations of various and venerable owners, until its first formal reconstruction in the late 17th century.

It was short-lived: portions of the complex were burnt by the French in a conflict mere years after the reconstruction. But a new tone was set.

The teenage years of Castello di Rivoli were equally (and appropriately) dramatic. Filippo Juvarra’s designs were ornate and commanding, inspired by the grandeur and symbolism of Versailles. Just like the Parisian palace, Castello di Rivoli was to be the built manifestation of newly-crowned King of Sicily Vittorio Amadeo II’s power. Symmetric wings were joined by a cavernous atrium and flanked by halls of lounges and residences. Colonnades were to be the backdrop of leisured strolls, ballrooms the setting for scandal and intrigue.

Only small portions of this were ever realized. In fact, the halting of construction is still visible today: bases still await columns at the open air entry and brick stairs-to-be trail off to nowhere.

Levels and types of interventions

Andrea Bruno, an architect from Turin, was commissioned in 1961 to begin renovations on the Castello as a celebration for the centenary of Italy’s unification. Refurbishments were completed in phases (1984 and 1986) commemorated in the walls of the Castello itself.

Bruno’s work not only revitalized the Castello for the modern age but combined and elevated the designs of his predecessors. Apartments from Juvarra were reconstructed and rooms by Randoni restored. The long-unfinished atrium was not completed, but enhanced, introducing visitors to the structure’s layered history before they even pass through the museum itself.

Bruno’s own additions establish a constant dialogue with the building’s past. Materials and decoration are either painstakingly accurate to the past, or unabashedly contemporary.

Practical circulation (i.e. stairs and elevators) is outsourced to external additions that allow visitors to view the Castello as they move between spaces. In one particularly dramatic instance, visitors in search of an overview can step out onto a glass outlook that bursts from an otherwise quiet brick facade.

After intervention The Castle of Rivoli is a former Residence of the Royal House of Savoy in Rivoli (Metropolitan City of Turin, Italy). It is currently home to the Castello di Rivoli – Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, the museum of contemporary art of Turin.

The building is a layered study of history that, in turn, is host to exhibitions that seek to make sense of art’s present and future. The castle restoration has been designed as a touristic art museum according to its new use as well as its old appearance. Some changes have been achieved in the environment and in itself. Renovation is at the best of time technically challenging, but great renovation elevates the competing ages of the architecture in harmony.

Andrea Bruno’s thoughtful work at the Castello di Rivoli tells not just the story of a building, but of the shifting tides of sovereignty and power. It may not be obviously or conventionally stylish, but it is profoundly meaningful work.

castello di rivoli, turin, italy

arch332 - conservatÄąon theory - ismet sayÄąn