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Department of Architecture

Pier Luigi Nervi

Areas: Cultural & living heritage

Since 2011, the group studying Pier Luigi Nervi has done research aimed at investigating certain topics and types of buildings designed and constructed by Nervi, presenting the results through a series of activities: publications, conferences, participation in conventions, workshops and exhibitions: 

  • Organisation of the travelling exhibition Pier Luigi Nervi. Football stadiums (Bologna, Cesena, Florence, Ravenna, November 2014 - September 2016) - curated by M. Antonucci, A. Trentin, T. Trombetti 
  • Publication of the book Pier Luigi Nervi. Gli stadi per il calcio, edited by M. Antonucci, A. Trentin, T. Trombetti, Bononia University Press, Bologna 2014. 
  • Organisation in partnership with Camplus Fondazione CEUR of the workshop "The poetics of the structure. From Nervi's projects to new modelling programmes” (Bologna, 14-15 November 2014). 
  • Organisation of the seminar "Model and project. From Pier Luigi Nervi's structural modelling to the use of models in contemporary design" (Aula Magna, Faculty of Engineering, University of Bologna, 10 December 2014). 
  • Scientific direction of the exhibition Pier Luigi Nervi. Architecture for sport (MAXXI - National Museum of 21st Century Arts in Rome, 4 February - 23 October 2016) - M. Antonucci with the collaboration of A. Trentin, T. Trombetti. 
  • Publication of the book Pier Luigi Nervi. Architetture per lo sport, edited by M. Antonucci, A. Trentin, T. Trombetti, Quaderni del MAXXI, Rome 2016. 
  • Participation in the IV International Meeting CONCRETE 2016 Architecture and Technique (22-23 September 2016) with the invited paper by M. Antonucci and S. Nannini entitled Pier Luigi Nervi's Manifattura Tabacchi in Bologna: a Research on the Use of Concrete in Italian Industrial Architecture of 20th Century. 
  • Organisation of a section of the exhibition Pier Luigi Nervi, the model as a design and construction tool (AUIC School of Milan Polytechnic, Guido Nardi exhibition space, Milan; 14 March - 28 April 2017) - scientific referees M. Antonucci, A. Trentin, T. Trombetti. 
  • Organisation of the seminar "Architecture and Industry. The reuse of Pier Luigi Nervi's Manifattura Tabacchi in Bologna" (Cappella Farnese, Bologna, 26 April 2017) - scientific referee M. Antonucci. 
  • Lecture given at the MOCAA (Museum of Contemporary Art Africa) in Cape Town, South Africa: M. Antonucci, G. Neri, “An Italian Masterpiece in Cape Town. Pier Luigi Nervi’s Good Hope Centre” (15 March 2018). 
  • Participation in EAHN's fifth topical conference "The Tools of the Architect" (Delft University of Technology and Het Nieuwe Instituut HNI, Delft and Rotterdam, The Netherlands, 22-24 November 2017 and publication of the presentation in the essay: M. Antonucci, S. Nannini, “Through History and Technique: Pier Luigi Nervi on Architectural Resilience”, in Architectural Histories, 2019, 7. 
  • Publication of the book La Manifattura Tabacchi di Bologna. Ricerche sull’architettura industriale contemporanea tra storia, tecnica e riuso, edited by M. Antonucci, A. Trentin, Bononia University Press, Bologna 2019. 
  • Participation in the teaching of the first- and second-level Master in Design Construction Management of Sport Infrastructure of Milan Polytechnic with the conference of M. Antonucci: Pier Luigi Nervi. Football stadiums (27 March 2020). 

Publication of the volume: M. Antonucci, G. Neri, Nervi in Africa. Architetture 1965-1980, Quodlibet edizioni, Macerata 2020. 

Scientific supervisor 

Micaela ANTONUCCI

Lecturers and researchers connected to the project

Federico FALLAVOLLITA 

Francesco GULINELLO 

Annalisa TRENTIN 

Pierpaolo ASCARI

Davide GIAFFREDA (PTA)

Marika MANGANO (PTA)

Staff from other departments and/or research facilities involved (interdepartmental groups)

Tomaso TROMBETTI (Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile, Chimica, Ambientale e dei Materiali)

Vando BORGHI (Dipartimento di Sociologia e Diritto dell'Economia)

Scholars/researchers from other universities/research centres involved

Gabriele NERI (Politecnico di Milano, Accademia di Mendrisio)

Thomas LESLIE (Iowa State University, USA)

Maria E. GARLOCK e Sigrid ADRIANSSESNS (Princeton University, USA)

Sofia NANNINI (Politecnico di Torino)

Mauro COZZI (Università di Firenze)

Sergio PORETTI e Tullia IORI (Università di Roma Tor Vergata)

Group ERC sectors 

PE8_3 - Civil engineering, maritime/hydraulic engineering, geotechnics, waste treatment

SH5_9 - History of art and architecture