Revive a key city for the island. The idea of Bètile in Porto Torres? According to the archistar, a new project is needed
SASSARI. Architect Stefano Boeri intervenes in the debate on Betile and launches a proposal to revitalize Sassari: «It would be a great idea to nominate Sassari as the capital of culture in the coming years, accompanying the initiative with a series of projects».
The Bètile. The original concept yes, but its architectural realization no. That cannot be translated because it was designed for a specific place. According to Stefano Boeri, the Bètile museum designed by the Anglo-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, winner of an international competition of ideas, was conceived in 2006 to regenerate the Sant’Elia district in Cagliari and cannot be built elsewhere. Not even in Porto Torres as the writer Marcello Fois proposed, sparking a passionate debate. However, Boeri’s contrary opinion is valid only for the Hadid project and not for the transfer of the original idea elsewhere, understood as the possibility of making the priceless treasures of Sardinian archeology coexist with contemporary art in the same physical space. «If Cagliari does not intend to develop this concept in its territory _ explains the architect _ nothing prevents Porto Torres from doing so. I want to be very clear on this point: I am not saying that the idea of Bètile cannot go to Porto Torres, I am saying that it makes no sense that the architecture designed for Sant’Elia goes to Porto Torres ». Stefano Boeri, a world-famous architect, has a threefold say in having his say on the fate of Bètile: he is a world-famous architect, he was part of the jury that chose Zaha Hadid’s project, he loves and knows Sardinia. To Marcello Fois who launched the idea, he acknowledges the merit of having rekindled the spotlight.
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