O.P.A.
Competition for an architectural project for the adaptive reuse of two cranes in the harbor of Palermo as a symbol of the future harbor-city interaction
Program Adaptive reuse of two dock cranes as a contemporary art museum (O.P.A. - Observatory of Palermo for the Arts) and as a boutique hotel, and regeneration of the harbor area as a public space.
Team Valerio Franzone, 3C+T Capolei Cavalli A.A.
Client Port Authority of Palermo
Collaborators Proges Engineering (structural engineering)
Location Palermo, Italy
Area North crane 3.760 m2; South crane 2.354 m2; public space 12.700 m2
Year 2010
O.P.A. - The Observatory of Palermo for the Arts aims to give a new identity to a large area of the harbor of Palermo and revitalize it through its adaptive reuse, beginning with the conversion of two of its cranes. The project is a strategic intervention that follows the guidelines of the new zoning plan, which will change the harbor function from commercial to touristic for private boats. In addition to the traditional port activities, the site will become a generator of activities: a change made possible by creating elements that are functional attractors for the citizens and the tourists of Palermo.
To renew the site’s identity, the entire area, a strip between the city and the sea, is transformed into a filtering element that connects instead of dividing these two environments and that manages the encountering between their processes: the South crane will be converted into a contemporary art museum, O.P.A. - Observatory of Palermo for the Arts, the North crane into a boutique hotel, and the whole site into a public space. In addition to creating a strong cultural and social identity for the entire area, these new functions will guarantee new income to the Porth Authority and the neighborhoods immediately surrounding the harbor. Furthermore, the proposed scenario will drastically change the local processes, transforming the site into a vibrant area by bringing new activities that will programmatically connect it to the city and its population.
