Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara by Labics

The Palazzo dei Diamanti, a Renaissance masterpiece in Ferrara, is again accessible to the public following its painstaking restoration and renovation by the Labics architecture studio (Maria Claudia Clemente and Francesco Isidori). 

The Palazzo dei Diamanti was designed by Biagio Rossetti and built in 1493. It represented the midpoint of the Addizione Erculea, an urban-planning project that was developed by Rossetti on behalf of Duke Ercole I. d’Este and that foresaw the doubling in size of the city of Ferrara. The palace is a symbol of Renaissance architecture and one of Italy’s most famous buildings. It takes its name from the 8500 pyramid-shaped blocks on the two exterior facades: these blocks refer to the diamond featured on the Este coat of arms. 

In February 2017, the City of Ferrara announced a two-phase international competition for the renovation of the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara. The project would affect the entire ground floor, which is traditionally used for high-quality temporary exhibitions. The group formed by Labics and 3TI projetti italia was selected from 70 participating groups. After an initial interruption of the process by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage in 2019, the project was approved. Work started in October 2020 and was completed in 2023.

Restoration

The first intervention involved the Rossetti and Tisi wings. The spaces have been furnished with high-tech surfaces which conceal all mechanical equipment. In the Rossetti Wing, new Venetian terrazzo flooring has been laid. In both wings, new portals of burnished brass have been added to accentuate the spatial sequence of the Renaissance palace. 

Café, © Marco Cappelletti, courtesy Labics

The second intervention involved the spaces of the former Risorgimento Museum, which have been completely renovated and given new functions to support activities surrounding the exhibitions: a café, bookshop, teaching room and multipurpose space. Moreover, Labics have renovated the inner courtyards in this part of the complex; they designed them as “open-air rooms” to integrate them into tours of the museum. 

The third intervention concentrated on the interior and exterior pathways. For the indoor paths, Labics re-created a connection, broken over the course of time, between the former Risorgimento Museum and the main courtyard. In addition, they improved the entryway above the small loggia that faces the main courtyard, transforming it into an important part of the itinerary. 

The new wooden structure in the garden, © Marco Cappelletti, courtesy Labics

Landscape architecture

The most significant intervention is the creation of a link between the two wings of the palace: a lightweight, partly glazed wooden structure that extends into the garden. The garden itself, which Labics designed in collaboration with landscape architect Stefano Olivari, features the layout of the ancient Brolo (orchard) with its associated squares and rectangles.