Two weeks ago, we had announced on the virtual pages of our Journal that the urgent works to protect and strengthen the spaces of Fondazione Pistoletto – necessary due to the damages caused by the flood of the beginning of October – were about to start. And they did: the initial operations have begun as planned, to promptly prevent any possible problem. Before carrying on with the update, we need to take a step back in time: adverse weather conditions led to the overflowing of the river Cervo, which swept away Hydro, the Terme Culturali and part of Accademia Unidee’s classrooms; in the course of a single night Cittadellarte lost 1300 sqm of exhibition, performance, rehearsal and storage spaces.
Cittadellarte’s team immediately sprang to action operating on two fronts: on one hand, the launch of the crowdfunding campaign Protect Cittadellarte on the Derev platform; on the other, the consultations with professionals and institutions to be able to proceed with the appropriate works. The campaign continues and has so far registered 103 donations, for an interim total of 11.319 euros. As mentioned in one of our previous articles, privates, associations and organisations from the most diverse sectors have offered their support, with contributions coming from the Biellese territory and from anywhere else in Italy and in the world.
The works officially started last Tuesday instead, when – with the employment of suitable machinery – a passage was open to access the riverbed of the Cervo: the operators have moved the containment reef close to the water and built an access ramp. “By the 6th November they had created a working site area,” explained Emanuele Bottigella from Cittadellarte’s Architecture Office, “the following day they were able to start with the demolition of the collapsed parts of Hydro and of the Terme Culturali. The rubble was dangerous, it needed to be removed quickly. This operation has allowed the workers to create the necessary working platform for them to complete the demolition of the ruins still standing. We now have a more exhaustive perspective,” he added, “we know what these structures rested on and what damages the adjacent buildings have suffered”. Has the Covid-19 emergency slowed down the work progress? “Fortunately, it hasn’t,” the architect said to us, “as the works have been classified as urgent. Of course,” he concluded, “all the operators are complying with the safety measures by keeping social distancing and wearing face masks”. The experts and Cittadellarte’s team are now assessing the next steps. We’ll keep you updated.
