How can we measure the quality of a piece of architecture? What parameters can we establish for judging whether a building is a good example of architectural practice?

The "Casa delle arti di Comacchio", was a perfect case study in the analysis of these questions, a true commitment to low-profile local architecture with a high impact on the community.

Designed by Zuloark, Tipi Studio and FAHRE architetti.

A public work, of significant social importance, made with a reduced budget and the need to satisfy highly-technical acoustic standards, while also being located in a context of great historical and monumental value.

Since 2019, the city of Comacchio has seen the birth of the new "Casa delle Arti". Located in the old prison of Palazzo Bellini, it has become a space fully dedicated to cultural and educational activities for music and the performing arts.

Comacchio is an ancient town in the province of Ferrara in the north of Italy — a “small Venice” in the Po Delta, surrounded by lagoons and canals that for years has been a destination of niche tourism.

The space not only meets the functional technical requirements for the activities that take place inside, but also tries to respect three principles that the architects consider indispensable for this type of project:

Recognition. The more the intervention is recognisable, the easier and more direct is its reading and that of its pre-existence. All the architectural elements in the project are made of wood and glass.

Making explicit the history of its manufacture and its transformations over time.

Materials in harmony with the context but also easily perceived as signs of the new intervention.

Reversibility. Thanks to the use of dry technologies, the project is completely reversible. The lightness and ephemeral character of the contemporary project is contrasted with the solid and austere character of medieval prisons.

Typically made of robust brick.

Environmental sustainability. The choice of using natural materials came out of a willingness to rethink buildings that comply with the economy and functionality of the work, while also prioritising respect for the environment.

Among the traditional building materials, wood is considered one of the least energy-consuming materials in its production process.