Description:
The Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza is one of the most important urban, and early, works of Andrea Palladio (1508-1580), the Italian architect of immense influence. It is not only iconic, but also much used for public events and much visited by tourists. There were two main project objectives: to retain the building's exceptional spatial and characteristic features, and to ensure the practical functionality of the complex, with infrastructural plant adaptations suited to new uses. Both objectives were achieved as a result of a considerable amount of work, such as the replacement of reinforced concrete roof structures constructed in the post-war period - to repair wartime bomb damage - with laminated wood, the restoration of all internal and external decorative features through the cleaning, the reinforcement and protection of materials, the construction of new infrastructural plants, and the creation of service areas outside the perimeter of the historic building itself. The Basilica can now be considered to have been returned to its prime role as Vicenza's most important historic building.