MUSEO CASA ENZO FERRARI

18 SEPTEMBER 2011

2011-09-18T09:20:00.001-07:00

Despite the progress on site I decided to stop posting images, as the completion date is now near. I think it is time to put a veil over the museum and hopefully take it off in March 2012, posting the first images of the Museum completed.
Thank you for following this blog.

22 JUNE 2011

2011-06-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

This month from site I chose only two pictures that I believe they faithfully portray the progress so far.

18 MAY 2011

2011-05-21T00:40:00.000-07:00

After 25 long months on site the roof installation has eventually begun and the bright yellow curved surface is now gently invading the site. The roof team is doing an amazing, painstaking job, considering that around mid-day the temperature measured over the water-membrane reached almost 50 degrees.

Progress inside the Gallery

A late afternoon roof walk-around inspection with Fabio Camorani, the project's structural engineer from Politecnica.

Barrisol structure being installed.

18 April 2011

2011-04-18T08:26:00.000-07:00

Facade now complete with the last panels showing the frit gradient. Courtesy of Giada at Teleya.

7 April 2011

2011-04-18T07:55:00.001-07:00

Few good things happened on site in the meanwhile, the most relevant being the installation of the first aluminium extrusion that will eventually form the roof's skin. It's a delicate, bespoke, time consuming process but the presence of a yellow strip crossing the building has marked another day to remember.

This person happens to be one of the most talended surveyors around, and when he is not busy travelling the world he cross-checks that the aluminiums strips are actually fixed according to the 3D data in the original file via GPS.

Underfloor heating/ cooling completed.

On-site filing efficiency

Last but not least....the most special girl on site. Giada, besides being an Architect working for Teleya, she is part of the technical team that engineered many facade's details and continuously monitors the facade's construction on site. Thank you Giada...

24 MARCH 2011

2011-03-28T04:03:00.001-07:00

The double curved glass facade is now 80% complete as the majority of the double-glazed panels have been fixed onto the pre-tensioned steel cables. The glass panels with the frit will be soon installed and the silicone joints will eventually make the facade weatherproof.
From inside the Gallery the view over the Ferrari House is just amazing, faithful to the original task of keeping the old building always visually available from inside the new building, from every angle. Vice versa from inside the Ferrari House the presence of the sweeping facade is a constant, reassuring presence.

24 JANUARY 2011

2011-02-07T01:26:00.000-08:00

14 JANUARY 2011

2011-01-14T01:34:00.000-08:00

18 DECEMBER 2010

2011-01-07T03:58:00.000-08:00

Despite sub-zero temperatures and heavy snow falls December marked one of the most crucial phases for the Gallery, as the 28, 30mm diameter steel cables were installed and pre-tensioned. The procedure was complex and very delicate as the pre-tensioning sequence meant applying a 60% of the maximum load following a symmetrical pattern, in order to avoid any unwanted deformation of the steel frame. Subsequently the cables were tensioned to 100% max load. It's basically like tuning the strings of a giant guitar to perfection.

25 NOVEMBER 2010

2010-12-08T04:12:00.000-08:00

28 October 2010

2010-12-08T03:49:00.001-08:00

25 September 2010

2010-10-04T03:15:00.000-07:00

After the summer break, that actually wasn't much of a break, the pace on site has gained speed and momentum. The roof metal primary, secondary and tertiary steel members are now in place, the facade truss temporary columns have been removed and gradually the shape and size of the Gallery is emerging. Soon the rigid insulation panels will start to clad the roof structure.

Meantime the intumescent paint is applied

On the Ferrari House the "Sagramatura" render is applied; Sagramatura was the original external render used on the Ferrari House's walls. This local and typical protective render is obtained by mixing lime, water and clay powder. It's a very old process used since the late 1400, known to be very difficult to apply. Luckily on site we have one of the finest craftsmen producing the finest sagramatura I've ever seen.

25 July 2010

2010-08-03T08:04:00.001-07:00

The "Y" pillars are up!

And inside the Ferrari house the application of the dump-proof render is now completed

30 June 2010

2010-06-30T07:25:00.000-07:00

The blog has been quite since April but I have some new interesting pictures fresh from site. The most relevant update is the completion of the first roof mock-up: it's relative small but it duplicates on of the most "deformed" spots as far as the roof geometry is concerned. The natural aluminium finish is quite dull but soon the aluminium planks will be sprayed with a glossy yellow finish.

Another substantial step forward is represented by the completion of the facade top truss. The tube, almost 900mm in diameter, features 10 sections welded together on site, and it is completly three-dimensional. The overall tolerance was set to +-50mm. This amazing achievement was possible thanks to only two welders!

Welding close-up, between section 4 and five at + 12 meters from the ground level, showing the degree of accuracy achived on site.

22 April 2010

2010-04-26T02:17:00.000-07:00

Last time I was on site, in March, the unprecedented snow and freezing temperatures were causing enormous problems for the casting of the concrete. April eventually brought good weather and temperatures reaching almost 25 degrees, so no more excuses for the concrete casting and so it was. Big time. April the 20th was marking a crucial date, the anniversary of the foundation stone, laid exactly one year before, and to celebrate this date it was amazing to see the concrete casting operations basically completed. The site now is, for the first time, revealing without much imagination the internal layout of the Gallery, the main ramp, the staircase ramp and the hole that will connect the entrance area to the exhibition space underground.
Next week the steel roof structure will begin and hopefully in few months the curved roof will slowly take shape.

The hole connecting the ground level with the underground exhibition room.

View of the technical room, where all the AHU will be placed. The little "spotlights" on the ceiling are actually the holes for the façade ventilation grilles.

Inspection on the complex steelwork that will structurally secure the connection with the main façade arch. The amazing amount of steel bars is necessary to cope with the incredible stress generated by the pre-tensioned steel cables connected to the arch that will bear the entire glazing surface.

A detail of the connection plate where the main façade main arch will be connected.
Andrea morgante architetto andrea morgante museo enzo ferrari shiro studio londra london andrea morgante ferrari modena future systems jan kaplicky

14 April

2010-04-25T08:07:00.001-07:00

I thought to share some pictures not from the site for once, but from Prague where for few days many Jan's friends came together to remember his work and "his own way". The premiere of the film 'Eye over Prague' and the opening of one the most amazing exhibitions on Future Systems work created an unique occasion to celebrate and cherish Jan's legacy and his truly inspiring, endless body of work. It was really touching to witness the interest and support for the Ferrari Museum project by so many people and this created several occasion to pass the message that this building, perhaps the last of Jan's projects, is really happening. A lecture and few interviews hopefully will spread the message even further.

22 March 2010

2010-03-25T05:18:00.001-07:00

25 January 2010

2010-01-29T03:00:00.000-08:00

13 October 2009

2009-10-19T02:35:00.000-07:00

The Gallery's foundation plinths are well underway and 50% of the foundation work is completed. Here are some images I took last week.

Inside the Ferrari House the staircase's delicate consolidation process is almost over. Epossidic resin has been injected between the steps and the vaulted ramp to strengthen and "glue" the two elements together while layers of carbon fiber sheets have been added to increase the rigidity of the load bearing ramp.

11 September 09

2009-09-14T04:27:00.000-07:00

View From across the site, revealing the scale of the ground works.

The Gallery's dedicated crane platform completed.

Detail of the house typical existing slab refurbishment, where the timber beams have been reinforced and structurally connected to the new reinforced screed.

On site 1:1 template to better understand the final roof package in the Ferrari House....much more effective than any CAD drawing or 3D model.

...and when things don't add up on site, there is nothing better than sketching live, 1:1 scale.

After few days of work the steel bars are laid out to allow the construction of the anti-seismic top ring collar, connected to all the roof timber trusses.
Andrea morgante architetto andrea morgante museo enzo ferrari shiro studio londra london andrea morgante ferrari modena

7 September 09

2009-09-14T04:07:00.001-07:00

August in Italy is usually very quiet month, and this August was no exception.....As predicted the site shut for few weeks and gave us a bit of rest. Now everything is back to normality and quite a lot of progress has been made on site since July. The Ferrari House is moving forward pretty fast and the timber roof structure has been completely cleaned, repaired and reinforced. A lot of energy is going right now in the top reinforced collar, a new structure that will strengthen the house and make the whole building earthquake proof. The thin slabs have been reinforced too and the new concrete screed is near completion.

As far as the new Gallery is concerned the digging works are almost over. Right in the middle of the is now clearly visible a relatively small reinforced concrete platform: on this platform the Gallery's crane (site Crane number 2) will be placed, almost until the end of the site construction. Hopefully the crane will be removed before completing the aluminum roof....

Gallery's dedicated crane new platform. The platform will be structurally linked to the foundation piles, here visible before the new concrete will be cast on site.

On-site evaluation of different finishes for new timber replacements and protective coatings.

The existing timber trusses' heads are coated with a thin layer of bitumen to further protect the timber once the reinforced concrete ring collar will be cast in place.

In the meantime the site's prefabricated office container has comfortably become my second home and office...

15 July 2009

2009-07-17T02:42:00.001-07:00

The crane operators...

13 July 2009

2009-07-17T02:27:00.000-07:00

The provisional retaining wall of the Gallery has been completed since my last visitin June. This is now allowing the excavation of the ground where the Gallery's foundation will be set next. In these pictures are visible the portions where the very ends of the facade will stand.

29 June 2009

2009-07-08T07:11:00.000-07:00

Images Copyright by Studio 129 Modena

29 June 09

2009-06-30T10:49:00.001-07:00

Modena, Monday 29 of June. 32 degrees. Quite a hot day but the site looked finally alive. Works are slightly behind schedule but good progress was made since April. The Ferrari House is nearly stripped down to the essential and the external scaffolding is fully erected: inside the demolitions are well underway and already exposing the real character of the house. And few surprises too....No survey can actually reveal what's behind the old plaster.
On the Gallery side the contractor was still engaged in setting the "parancole", steel partitions that are pushed 12 meters underground and will act as temporary retaining walls during the digging of the ground for the foundations. It is a very time consuming operation as in certain spots the grond is much more compact then others. Because of the friction created between the steel plates and the ground the water surrounding the plates actually boils.

Site offices, obviously in Ferrari Yellow.

The delicate operation of pushing in the ground one of the steel plates.

The external scaffolding surrounding the north side of the House

The staircase has been carefully sandblasted and it is now revealing the original construction technique. It was quite surprising to find out that the original underside arc made of bricks has literally detached from the steps while the staircase ramp has generated a "spontaneous" arched structure that actually holds the entire staircase ramp.

Roof level: the first portion of the roof has been removed. Another interesting discovery on the second floor right underneath the roof level is the construction adopted for the slab: a series of low brick arches support the entire slab and the actual thickness measured on the apex of the arch is just 30 milliliters. This is just pure structural, "fat-free" building efficiency....

Rooftop view: from this picture is easy to recognize the almost completed perimeter created by the steel plates that will seal the digging area for the Gallery's foundations.

Portion of the internal partitions awaiting demolition

Internal view inside the Ferrari House, where the scaffolding's erection is still in progress

Post site visit meeting with the structural engineer and the main contractor, trying to mark on the drawings potential revisions and discrepancies in light of the recent demolitions.

Issued plans and red marks indicating potential modifications to be adopted.

Last but not least....site spirit! Long gone are the days where builders used to pin up pictures of busty, topless chicks inside the site containers...Instead renders of what is due to come. Everyone on site is truly in love with this project and the excitement and passion is quite tangible.

20 April 2009

2009-06-11T13:50:00.000-07:00

Eliška Kaplicky Fuchsová and Andrea Morgante with the Foundation Stone in front of Ferrari House during the opening cerimony

The blessing cerimony by the very same priest that used to bless all Enzo Ferrari's pilots before the race

July 2004

2009-06-11T13:34:00.001-07:00

Jan is walking for the first time inside the project's area, during the competition site survey.

20 April 2009

2009-06-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

Jan's original sketch for the Museum's Foundation stone

20 April 2009

2009-06-11T10:15:00.000-07:00

Foundation Stone. The sketch was tranlsated into an STL file and then used to milled a solid block of aluminium by a 5-axis milling machine. The writing says "20 aprile 2009 - posa della prima pietra - Museo Enzo Ferrari - Future Systems Architetti"

20 April 2009

2009-06-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

The 20 of April 2009 marked the official opening of the site in Modena for the Museo Enzo Ferrari. Quite an historical date to say the least. Almost 5 years before this date Jan and I flew to Modena for the first time, to visit the competition site in a very hot day in July. The light and the sun were so bright that we stopped at a petrol station along the A1 motorway to buy a pair of cheap, oversized sunglasses. I wish I took a picture of the two of us on that day as we looked everything but credible with those glasses. We never though to win that competition, but we were already dreaming of a new, exciting, unique car museum in Modena, even before getting to the site. Finding the site was actually quite a feat, as no living soul was outside at 13.35 pm, 34 degree Celsius. Even those people we manage to bump into never heard of the Enzo Ferrari House. They all knew who he was but the house where the legend was born was just unknown quantity. Five years later, on the 20 of April 2009 around 200 invited public personalities and thousand of citizens from the town attended the construction site’s opening ceremony. I really wished Jan could see this day, after so many battles, defeats and difficult moments that accompanied the design of this project. I wish he could see the crowd, the faces and the site with its yellow cranes and yellow carpet for its guests. But Jan was there. His hand, his intellect and his creativity were there, intimately represented in the foundation stone. The stone’s sketch that he had handed over me two years ago turned eventually into reality. A stone made of aluminium of course, Jan’s favourite material and the very same substance that was used to build most of the vintage Ferrari’s racing cars. The unveiling of the stone marked solemnly the beginning of this adventure.