Auditorium Paganini

Parma's Paganini Auditorium is a concert hall designed by Renzo Piano within the former Eridania sugar refinery, preserving the industrial shell while creating a modern acoustic space.

Why it matters

The auditorium is a notable example of industrial reuse. Parma's municipality acquired the refinery area in 1980 as part of a plan for a public park and a music centre. Renzo Piano's design retained the factory walls and integrated them with a contemporary concert hall, showing how former industrial infrastructure could be adapted without erasing its character.

What to notice

Long brick walls of the refinery are paired with glass end walls that open the hall visually toward the park. Cherry-wood acoustic panels, a suspended absorbing ceiling and reflective elements shape the room's sound. The preserved chimney remains a landmark of the former factory, while a restored accessory building contains rehearsal spaces.

Context and history

The Eridania sugar works closed in 1968. Piano's design was developed between 1996 and 1999, and conversion took place from 1999 to 2001, when the auditorium opened. Acoustic design was developed with Muller BBM. Since 2015 the building has also served as the home of Paganini Congressi, linking musical and civic uses within the former industrial district.