Concept
The New Congress Center of Padua is designed by the renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and will be able to accommodate a total of 3500 people.
The project represents a concrete example of stratified architecture, combining the Japanese technique of “spatial layering”, which consists of the superimposition of elements with different levels of permeability, with the recovery of the Paduan tradition of the intermediate spaces. The two founding nuclei of the project, the Amphitheater and the Great Hall, are incorporated in a sequence of spaces that mediate the relationship with the outside. The large windows at the top will give a unique lighting effect to the central gallery.
Padua city center is characterized by a long and evocative sequence of elegant arcades, the design of the new conference center refers to this uniqueness and – with its external arcades – intends to recreate a spatiality similar to that of the historic city. As the arcades of Padua mediate between the street and homes or shops, so the large façade walls introduce the building and accentuate its depth, crossing the Gallery until reaching the large square overlooking the Fair.
