There was a time, when the factory Officine Reggiane was considered to be a state-of-the-art industrial plant with a glorious manufacturing activity.

Officine Reggiane still represents an important chapter in Italian industrial history, with a strong symbolic value for the identity of Reggio Emilia and the factory was once the fourth largest Italian manufacturing company after Fiat, Breda and Ansaldo, and from the early years of the 20th century played a key role in the industrialisation of the city.

This abandoned industrial area has become a state-of-the-art district under the name of Parco Innovazione. This area is a clear example of industrial architecture that has become, under renovation a stunning construction with high-tech facilities.

The renovation and redevelopment of the whole area has been an ambitious project that has involved the Municipality of Reggio Emilia, the Region Emilia Romagna, the Italian Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport and the private company Iren.

The Parco Innovazione represents a clear challenge of the ever-changing design and building sector at local and global level, in terms of competition, development and modernization. A pioneering project that expresses the architectural identity of Reggio Emilia which confirms to be a forward looking Italian city.

There is also the Tecnopole of Reggio Emilia that has as main function: to link public and private laboratories of research to businnesses, to transfer know-how, to spread tecnologic information in the territory, to create a network of relations as base of the spreading and creation of knowledge.

Tecnopole is geographically near the International Center Loris Malaguzzi and is placed inside the industrial building n.19, part of the historical Officine Meccaniche Reggiane, restored respecting its ancient function and today propriety of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia.

Andrea Oliva Architetto and LEAA are the design engineers that have carried out the project.

All images © KAI-UWE SCHULTE-BUNERT, Polo Archivistico del Comune di Reggio Emilia

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