The Brief: Convert the city’s gas holder into the centrepiece of a new park using a creative public building design.
The Challenge: Maintain the structure of the gasometer, keeping its listed building status.
The Project: The 45-metre high gas tower has overlooked the city of Brescia for decades with its green exterior visible for miles. But since its disuse in 1992, it had been standing idle until 2010 when MDNS Studio poured life back into it.
The gasometer stands in a recently created park and the city council wanted to give it a new lease of life. We were brought in with our industrial archaeology experience to renovate the gas tower into a public building. Designed last century, it was important we kept its original structure which qualifies for listed building status.
The city’s skyline is synonymous with the iconic landmark and we wanted to honour its industrial past. We designed a large glass bubble, some 25 metres in length, to represent a puff of smoke coming out from the tower. Inside, we created a stylish bar and restaurant with a capacity of 300 people and an incredible vantage point to see the city below. At night, the whole bubble lights up a brilliant blue, like a gas flame, and can be seen right across the skyline. The renovated public building, designed for public use, also houses a two-floor exhibition area and is supported by a 60-metre long column with elevators and a spiral ramp instead of stairs.
The result is a public building, designed to both recognise its past and to be recognisable for miles with its creative architecture.
