Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Genoa - Italy
Renzo Piano Building Workshop S.r.l.
Via Rubens, 29
16158 Genova
Italy
Tel. (39) 010 61 71 1
Fax (39) 010 61 71 350
email: italy@rpbw.com
Paris - France
Renzo Piano Building Workshop
34, rue des Archives
75004 Paris
France
Tel. (33) 1 44 61 49 00
Fax (33) 1 42 78 01 98
email: france@rpbw.com
Renzo Piano Building Workshop

Zentrum Paul Klee

Berne, Switzerland
1999/2005

A gift from the city to one of its greatest artists.

The Paul Klee Centre is a multifunctional space: in addition
to the permanent collection, it also houses temporary
exhibitions, a concert hall, and a centre with ateliers for
children. The shapes of the building recall the curves of the
surrounding landscape, thus becoming an integral part of it.

The Centre is composed of three hills made of glass and

steel. Each "hill" corresponds to one different function of the
centre, and runs through the life of the artist, who was a
painter, a musician and a poet. The natural light, potentially
harmful to the extremely fragile art pieces, is diffused by a
system of translucent screens that delicately reflect the light.
Renzo Piano Building Workshop

Menil Collection Museum

Houston (TX), USA
1982-1986

Extremely meticulous and advanced research into natural

light, and concern for conservation of works of art, were the
two principal forces driving the design of the Menil Museum.
A modular system of "leaves" covering the roof regulates the
flux of light into the halls and is the building's main
architectural feature.

On top of the building is "The Treasure House", which houses

the collection of 10,000 pieces of art. Selected pieces are
continually rotated throughout the predominantly naturally lit
conditions. The interiors are kept simple to encourage
contemplation on the art itself.
Renzo Piano Building Workshop

Renzo Piano Building

Workshop
Punta Nave (Genoa), Italy
1989/1991

Perched on the slopes of a hill above the sea, Punta Nave

houses the Genoa headquarters of the Renzo Piano Building
Workshop.

Composed of a system of glass terraces gradually sloping

towards the sea, the building recalls the shapes of the
greenhouses typical of the Ligurian coastline.

Zenithal light plays here a major role: photosensitive

skylights regulate light intensity thus pervading the interior
spaces with natural light.