The project was launched by the City of Parma in 1999

and is a part of a broader program dedicated to urban

redevelopment and the reuse of the area itself. It is the
site in which the first factories of the 18th century were
located, such as the old Eridania sugar refinery, the
Barilla pasta factory, the public slaughterhouse and the
agricultural consortium, and even housed the great
technological services of the era, such as the Light Rail
Station and the Gasometer. The complex is close to the
citys historical centre and is immersed within a wellestablished urban park that boasts various tree species,
many of which are exceptionally tall and of excellent
quality. The auditorium was built within the former
Eridania area, a complex of buildings that were
constructed in 1899 and decommissioned in 1968.

The walls and the volume of the old factory were its most characteristic features and caused it to become a
strong symbol of Parmas urban development: a tribute to the legacy of Parmas industrial history. With its
classic functional layout, the factory was essentially a large box, hence the idea that it could be turned into
a perfect boite a musique with a frontal stage. The verification of its proportions confirmed this idea: it was
determined that the buildings linear layout would allow for the creation of a unique environment with the
proper volumetric proportions for an auditorium. The restoration of the former Eridania factory required
significant structural work to be carried out, while respecting the morphology of the existing building. New
foundations were built and the old walls were recovered by installing appropriate comb-shaped reinforced
concrete inserts inside the existing structure. The roof reflects the shape of the original one and has been
entirely rebuilt in order to replace the old materials which, from a mechanical-structural and acoustic
standpoint, were no longer suitable. The project involved the elimination of the main structures transverse
walls and their replacement with three enormous acoustic windows, which provide for complete
transparency along the buildings entire longitudinal axis, for a total length of approximately 90 metres. In
this manner, the park can be seen from anywhere within the hall and the foyer, even during musical events.


The building is characterized by its longitudinal walls, which are punctuated by the existing low-arched
windows, by its gabled roof, which is supported by visible metal trusses, and finally by its enormous frontal
windows, which constitute the transverse walls of the auditorium itself. The main structure has been
equipped with all of the necessary elements for the spectators and for the shows themselves: a foyer, a hall
with 780 seats and a stage that can accommodate a symphony orchestra and a choir, all while respecting
the canonical proportions in terms of acoustics. The buildings location in the middle of the park has
greatly simplified the work that was required to insulate the structure against external noise. The ancillary
buildings surrounding the main structure have all been demolished, with the exception of one that was
restructured to house the rehearsal room, the dressing rooms, the restrooms and the management offices.
The public entrance is on the southern faade and opens up onto the park. Subsequently, along the
buildings longitudinal axis, there is an initial open space that is protected by the roof, as well as an indoor
plaza, which is flanked by the foyer and the ticket office and mediates the traffic coming in and out of the
structure. Beyond the enormous frontal windows is the foyer, which is spread over two levels.

The stage is situated at the buildings northern extremity, near the glass transverse wall. It is 17 meters
wide and 14 metres long, for a total of 238 square metres, and is perfect for accommodating large
orchestras. The seating area offers 780 seats, which are divided into six areas over 590 square metres, and
extends along a single level with a slight slope in order to improve the visibility of the stage itself from every
row of seats. The stage has a raised floor that acts as a natural resonance chamber. A system of acoustic
cherry wood panels, which are suspended from the rafters above the stage, complete the spatial
organization of the factorys main structure. These panels serve the purpose of breaking up the direct sound
waves and guiding the sound pressure back into the room. Other sound control elements include the glass
deflectors which are positioned at the structures glass wall extremities, and the strips of wood that have
been positioned behind the orchestra. The latter also serve to prevent the audience members from seeing
their own reflections in the glass. Even the window niches, which were a part of the original structure, serve
an acoustic function: in fact, they improve the homogeneity of the sound by constantly changing the angles
of deflection.