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The main goal of this project is the rehabilitation of the Arena Colonetta, a former open-air cinema in the Romagnolo district of Palermo. Having ceased its activity in the eighties, it has been abandoned for almost forty years and its structure is gradually falling into ruin. Reviving this sleeping space, in a neighbourhood still permeated by the power of the mafia, would allow the community of the neighbourhood to find a meeting place and to propose a new cultural offer, accessible to all.
This pioneering project would create a way forward and show the way for the development of similar projects in the city of Palermo, where at one time, in the 1950s to 1970s, there were more than sixty of these arenas (open-air cinemas) which are now, like the Arena Colonetta, abandoned or used as a car park or dumping ground. It is therefore high time to give back to the inhabitants of the district, access to these spaces and their event and cultural potential.
open air cinema
rehabilitation
culture
community
informal spaces
These open-air cinemas were developed in the 1950s, mainly for thermal comfort. Indeed, the traditional cinemas, closed spaces, were not equipped with an air conditioning system, and their use became unthinkable during the summer months, which in a southern region like Palermo extend from May to the end of October (thus almost half the year!).
Today, faced with global warming and increasingly hot summers, it is our duty to think of architectural solutions that do not require energy-intensive technical installations such as air conditioning.
Moreover, as it is an open-air cinema, the renovation of this cultural space would require very little additional construction to be usable again. The various interventions required can be carried out using ecological materials (consolidation of the structure using wooden scaffolding, ecological painting, etc.). Part of the ecosystem that was formed in this area during the years of abandonment of the cinema would be preserved, such as the majestic palm tree seen on the right of the screen.
The aesthetic concept of this project is to make the ruin speak, to make the history of these old open-air cinemas transpire from the bricks of the surviving walls. The idea is not to cover this old building with a superficial layer of paint, of 'new', but rather to highlight the age and tradition of these places by renovating and securing the structure but leaving it raw. The intention is not to put the architect's 'stamp' on it with a strong or sculptural gesture, but to leave the space with its original identity and its belonging to the neighbourhood.
Some key elements can be used to give a unique character to the place, such as the palm tree mentioned above, the famous original structure and the addition of some carefully chosen and placed signage objects, such as a neon sign indicating the name of the cinema 'Arena Colonnetta'.
Historically, watching films in these arenas, open-air cinemas, was one of the only cultural activities that the open class could afford. The low cost of maintaining the space, not being a closed theatre, meant that the ticket price was low and therefore accessible to all social classes.
It is also interesting to note that at that time (gender equality was still very far from being achieved in 1950) women could go to these open-air cinemas more easily than to traditional cinemas because it was much less frightening and 'frowned upon' by society to sit in the open air than to lock oneself up in a dark room where one does not know what might happen!
The renovation of this space in the popular Romagnolo neighbourhood would provide the inhabitants of this area with a new, inexpensive activity available for all ages, genders, etc. Moreover, as this is a neighbourhood where the mafia presence is still palpable, offering a cultural activity would perhaps limit the risk of delinquency among young people. Indeed, this is a strategy that town planners and architects have often used throughout history by proposing leisure centres or workers' centres with a rich cultural offer to allow the inhabitants of disadvantaged neighbourhoods to occupy their free time with healthy and peaceful activities.
The local residents and the owner of the cinema will be involved throughout the project. During the planning phase of the renovation, a participatory workshop could be organised and the opinions and suggestions of the inhabitants would be received and taken into account in the design. Then, during the construction phase, motivated local residents could help us with small tasks such as clearing brushwood or painting the projection wall in exchange for free entry to the first events.
The participation of the inhabitants in this project is crucial because it is what will make them feel that this space is theirs again.
At a local level, the two main actors of this project are the owner of the place and a group of artists from Palermo. The first one is the person who had the idea, during long discussions with him and his family, came the idea, the motivation, to revive this place. As for the collective, it is they who will be in charge of the film programme once the space is open. An architect from Palermo is also part of this collective and would accompany me in all the design and implementation.
At the regional level, the Fondazione Sicilia could possibly provide a second financial support to keep this space alive once the renovation is done.
Finally, this project is part of a Swiss-Italian exchange process, as it was a residency organised by the Istituto Svizzero di Roma that allowed me to go to Palermo and study this case directly on site. It is also this institution that would promote the opening night of this new cultural space.
To develop this project, a lot of archival research on other arenas in the city has been carried out and this has involved delving into the history of cinema and the urban history of Palermo. Several people from these two disciplines have been consulted on several occasions throughout the process and will continue to be consulted if this project is to be implemented to ensure cultural and urban cohesion.
The innovative character of this project lies in the fact that it is a renovation and a long-term investment. In fact, in Palermo, many incredible spaces have been abandoned, such as the Palazzo Costantino on via Maqueda or the Teatro Garibaldi. These places are sometimes reactivated, for an evening, the time to put some smoke in the eyes. This was the case with the big Manifesta event in 2018, where many spaces were occupied for the duration of the exhibition before being forgotten.
In this sense, the project is different, as it would provide a more permanent structure that can host continuous events and not a one-off show.
The difference also with other mainstream open-air cinemas in Italy today is that this one would be historically and spatially anchored in a place where this activity makes sense. The film programme would also reflect this original character and would offer a selection of independent films.
Given that there were more than sixty arenas in the 1950s in Palermo, it is easy to find similar places in the city to which the same methodology could be applied.
Once the first project for the renovation of such a space has been carried out, it would then be easier to present the concept to the local authorities and convince them of the feasibility of this type of project. Moreover, all the research on ecological materials and other construction processes could easily be applied to another arena in Palermo.
If we widen our horizon, we can see that this phenomenon is not limited to the city of Palermo, but can be found all over the island of Sicily, as far as Siracusa, Noto or Avola.
Let me also briefly mention that these open-air cinemas are not an Italian tradition, but rather a Mediterranean one. Proceeding with a renovation of this kind in Sicily would allow us to consider transposing this type of project to Greece, the Maghreb, etc.
As mentioned above, global warming is a global issue to which local solutions, such as rethinking cultural spaces as something other than air-conditioned black boxes, can respond.
It was also mentioned above that the particular social situation of this neighbourhood is also found in many other places in the world. The development of local solutions could therefore provide examples for other areas.
