AMAA reimagines former printworks factory as new cultural center in northern italy

ATIPOGRAFIA: an innovative collage of styles and textures 

ATIPOGRAFIA, a cultural association and contemporary art gallery, now occupies a former printworks factory from the early 20th century. Completed by local architecture and research studio AMAA, the renovated complex takes shape in Arzignano, in Northern Italy‘s province of Vicenza, combining a late art nouveau villa and a factory building that has undergone several extensions. The latter reflects the region’s industrial heritage, featuring a diverse range of industrial structures, from expansive factories to small courtyard sheds.

At first glance, the repurposed spaces reveal an innovative collage of periodical styles and textures, serving as a successful example of how adaptively reusing existing buildings can bring about innovative ideas, meticulous construction, and aesthetic finesse. 

all images © Simone Bossi, courtesy AMAA

amaa introduces the concept of ‘threshold & treasure’

Marcello Galiotto and Alessandra Rampazzo from AMAA (see more here) teamed up with Landscape Architect Angelo Renna to bring the ATIPOGRAFIA center to life following the concept of ‘Threshold & Treasure’. The thresholds are linear structures of varying widths that define a series of pathways leading to the site’s treasures, including both artworks and preserved empty spaces.

Facing the street, the architects built the main entrance using exposed concrete, creating an access point that triples as a sculpture, a frame, and a deep space for further exploration. Once this first threshold is crossed, visitors are led to a peaceful garden which in turn leads to a main exhibition hub on the ground floor. There, a 20th-century, dimly lit, and compact Dom-Ino black frame interior greets visitors, followed by a bright hall that used to be the heart of the printworks factory.

the main entrance gate of ATIPOGRAFIA, made of exposed concrete

‘The main exhibition area is a multi-material space featuring a smooth concrete floor and service block, combined with the old walls and ceilings made of stone and wood, along with a transparent veranda made of glass and metal, serving as another threshold that opens up to the innermost courtyard,’ writes the studio. 

The upper level of ATIPOGRAFIA is accessible through a new concrete staircase that separates the house designated for resident artists from the one dedicated to the exhibited works. Visitors ascend through a roof garden that affords a 360-degree view of the surroundings and enter the atelier, a space reserved for the gallery and its offices, which includes a floor adorned by children from a nursery in Borneo, as per the client’s selection.

Meanwhile, the atelier is accessed through a pivoting glass door protected by a sliding panel made of natural-colored steel, which serves as an industrial reference and represents the most intricate among the various bespoke elements designed for this project, including all door and window fixtures.

the art nouveau villa for resident artists

a multi-material exhibition space, flooded with natural lighting

a new concrete staircase separates the villa from the main exhibition area

inside the villa, boasting minimal design aesthetics

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project info:

name: ATIPOGRAFIA

program: Cultural association & gallery

location: Arzignano, Vicenza, Italy

architecture: AMAA | @amaa_office

design team: Marcello Galiotto, Alessandra Rampazzo, Mario Azzarello

models: Simone Agosta del Forte, Nilo Forcellini, Francesco Baggio, Leonardo Tagliente

landscape architecture: Angelo Renna 

structural engineering: Claudio Lorenzetto 

atelier window fixtures: WOLF Fenster AG S.p.A 

exhibition space window fixtures: Santuliana Design 

mechanical installations: Sit

atelier pivot door: Fiorotto Design 

electrical systems: Elettrogamma, Jung.de

steel details: Officine Bernardini S.r.l. 

curtains: Tecnotenda 

front gate: Luigi Savoiani 

green areas: Daku, Dall’Ava 

photography: Simone Bossi | @simonebossiphotographer

model photography: Elena Pellizzer 

design period: 2019 – 2022 

site area: 990 sqm