Italian Design Day 2021 – Pier Luigi Nervi in Africa

The Italian Design Day celebrates each year Italian creativity all over the world. This year, the Embassy of Italy in Pretoria, in cooperation with the Consulate of Italy in Cape Town and Istituto Italiano di Cultura of Pretoria, has chosen to explore the legacy of Pier Luigi Nervi, one of the most prominent Italian architects and civil engineers of the Century.

Nervi’s stadiums, arenas, and halls, with his distinctive trait and choice of materials, are embedded in the urban fabric of Italian cities, and his works are present in many other countries as well. Pier Luigi Nervi has been particularly active in the African Continent, in Africa, in the framework of the deep and dynamic relations between Italy and Africa in the aftermath of its struggle for independence. However, little research had been conducted on this fascinating subject, until Micaela Antonucci and Gabriele Neri published their book Pier Luigi Nervi in Africa.

We have supported the translation and publishing in South Africa of an excerpt of their book and we have asked the authors to present it, introducing our public to Pier Luigi Nervi and his architectural journey in Africa.  They will focus particularly on his experiences in South Africa, which opened and closed Nervi’s presence in the Continent: from a consultancy for a new stadium in Pretoria, in 1964, to the Good Hope Centre in Cape Town, in 1976, blending contemporary lines with echoes of classic Italian architecture masterpieces.

Professor Tomà Berlanda of the University of Cape Town will introduce the event.

The webinar will take place Thursday 8 July at 17h00, South African time.

the event will be recorded and available on the youtube channel of the Italian Embassy in Pretoria also after the 8th.