R-Nord Gallery Renovation | Area-17 Architecture & Interiors

Area-17 and INRES took part in the requalification of the R-Nord building redesigning the gallery located on the ground floor, both architecturally and commercially. The renovation of the complex began a few years ago by the Comune di Modena through CambiaMo. The R-Nord condominium is a monumental brutalist building close to the train station, which over the years has fallen in an evident state of social and aesthetic decay. The intervention is rooted in the idea that the architectural requalification can overturn the perception of a space, fostering its understanding and appreciation and orienting its use towards a positive direction. Thus, a dark, secluded, underutilized gallery has been transformed into a bright and colorful place, a busy hub between the reorganized exterior areas and residences and services on the upper floors. Central to this new scheme of fluxes is the restyling of the Coop supermarket. Once opened only on the outside, its entrance is now the joint between the outside and the inside. The interiors merge with the gallery through ceiling-to-wall glass windows. Two of the supermarket activities, pharmacy and café, from the inside were taken out into two new stores facing the gallery. Color guides the design. It allows leaving a clear sign without interfering with the critical understanding of the historical architecture. Color denotes a cheerful place experienced by adults as well as children. From the inside, it explodes onto the outside through the boardwalk to the car park, the entrance gates, the wooden paneling on the Strada Canaletto façade, and finally the bespoke street furniture that integrate seating and lighting. Light is the other protagonist in the space, both the natural light falling from the wide oculus and the artificial light. It reflects on the ceramic walls and flooring, enhancing their brightness and the geometric texture that creates a play of decomposing and recomposing squares and triangles. The artificial lighting fixture made possible the participation of the design to the CommONEnergy project, supported by the European Union. CommONEnergy aims to enhance the shopping malls’ energetic efficiency through an innovative approach to materials and technology in use, with respect to energy saving criteria.