«The tower’s glass presents many white points», says Bellini. «It is entirely white on the top, fading away as one moves down gradually until it is completely transparent at the base.  And there’s a reason for this; on sunny days the tower shines if looked down on from the top, because the lactescent glass gives off light, while instead when seen from the courtyard it becomes more and more incorporeal and evanescent, so much so that looks as if it were floating».

A true work of art, the tower may also be explored from within as one ascends. The lower floors house part of the materials on exhibit, and in that space – from behind the glass – it’s like entering a museum display. In a way one gets the sense of having crossed a boundary to enter a protected space. «As you ascend the staircase, a feeling of serenity should come over you», says Bellini. «And once you’ve reached the top floor, you discover that the space is lined by real bamboo trees. The top of the tower is washed with green thanks to the light that filters through the leaves. I love this effect. There are also benches where you can sit down and read or meditate». One of the museum’s most fascinating details is the flooring which stretches through all of the baroque halls of the exhibition space. At first glance, it seems like some kind of sumptuous black marble, but taking a second look, you realize that they are minute fragments of industrial metal – slivers of metal wire, pieces of tubing, undulated shavings, shiny filings -, comprising an enormous mass frozen in a still black sea. «We brought the palace back to life», concludes Bellini. «We were lucky to be able to bring it back to its original conditions, those preceding over a half century of negligence it had become the victim of. Now Pepoli Palace not only preserves Bologna's history within its walls, but its very rebirth has entered the pages of the city's history. This is something I am particularly proud of».

 

Article by Jonathan Bastable