Nardini Distillery Research Center and Auditorium

Many others have been impressed with the Nardini Research Center and Auditorium, dedicated to the famous Nardini distillery, and now it’s my turn.  Italian-based architecture firm Massimiliano Fukas Architetto has created two “worlds” in their design.  The first is the two transparent ellipsoidal bubbles that hold the research center visually suspended above ground.  The second is a small, canyon-like auditorium submerged below the ground.  A layer of water at ground level creates a reflective, shimmering space at the entrance area.  Just below the water, skylights filter natural light into the auditorium below during the day, and then light up the space above at night.  The research bubbles are composed of a totally transparent double skin that offers a 360 degree view of the mountainous Montegrappa landscape.