Technology, Materials, and the Future of Kenzo Tange's Fiera District in Bologna

More than 50 years have passed from the first discussions of Bologna’s expansion to the north and the consequent design of Kenzo Tange’s ambitious project. The Fiera District, the only tangible remnant of that era, was officially opened in 1983, and it has continued to grow since then. Today, the first buildings to be built are in need of restoration, while the last one, a high-rise tower-like office building finished only in 2012, was designed according to a new set of energy and anti-seismic regulations. Moreover, it was completed with updated building technologies. Despite all these differences, the Fiera District still looks like a uniform whole. This remarkable result was achieved thanks to the joint efforts of a multitude of local professionals who worked following Tange’s instructions and with the goal of preserving the historically meaningful and easily recognisable contemporary image that the Japanese architect envisioned for Bologna. First, by using previously unpublished documents, our objective is to provide an insight into the complexities and contradictions of the construction process, thus enabling the inheritance of the Fiera District to be properly passed on to the future. Second, we wish to shed new light on the relationship between Kenzo Tange and Bologna, considering it a case study of primary importance for understanding the values of global modernities.