Bookshop Electa

An architectural sculpture that integrates itself non-invasively with the historical pre- existence

Within the Villa Medici musealization program, seat of the French Academy, the publishing house Electa commissioned to BICUADRO architects a bookshop to host the exhibition and sale of its famous art publications.
The design of a ” sculpture/container” made by treated iron, located in the foyer of the bookshop, comes from the need to realize high value architectural structures that can be integrated in a non-invasive or permanent way with the historical pre- existence.

That ” sculpture/container” is made by a series of strips that are wrapped around the display cases where publications are exposed. The peculiarity of this sculpture is that it is designed to be independent from the existing building’s structure, self- supporting, with modern style that at the same calls back to the ideal classical moldings of the roman renaissance architecture and for this way bearer of great symbolic value.

Placed in the atrium of Villa Medici, the “architectural piece” has become an element of great interest for the museum visitors and has received some national publications on architectural magazines.

Location / Roma

Year / 2009

Client / Electa