Italian architectural heritage and Italian Design Day: Italy’s dual participation in the Urban Expo from 15 to 16 March

It is an event open to the public in which architecture and engineering experts, together with other high personalities, meet and discuss projects, strategies, and policies for the urban development of Libya.

Italy will be present with two initiatives: the first will be dedicated to the Italian architectural heritage in the Mediterranean; the second dedicated to the 7th edition of the Italian Design Day.

Both initiatives are organized by the Italian Embassy in Tripoli in cooperation with the local Italian Trade Agency (ITA) Office. The Italian embassy says both activities fall within the Italian effort to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the cultural and economic sectors of Libya, which has in Italy its first trade partner.

“Razionalismo Libico – Italian Rational Architecture in Libya”
The Italian embassy explains that the first initiative, “Razionalismo Libico – Italian Rational Architecture in Libya”, will present one of the most important and characteristic examples of Mediterranean architectural heritage, an expression of a shared identity. A historical inheritance, it adds, that must be rediscovered, protected, and promoted – a legacy in need of safeguarding that is possible only through the knowledge and support of local communities.

Photographic exhibition
The embassy adds that this is the message Italy is sending, in a series of initiatives which will also see the photographic exhibition “Razionalismo Libico – Italian Rational Architecture in Libya. The Cultural Inheritance of Italian Architecture in the Mediterranean”, by the architect Walter Baricchi, with the participation of other Italian and Libyan architects.

The event covers not only history, but also concrete testimony of what has been done and what can be done for the recovery of that heritage. This is also what will be illustrated by a panel dedicated to the restoration of Dorar’s Mosque and Dhahra’s Islamic Madrasa, which nowadays are among the most relevant examples of Italian-Libyan cooperation in this sector. The project will be presented by the architect Giuseppe Cangialosi, member of an Italian firm specialized in conservative renovation, working with the Organization for the Development of Administrative Centres (ODAC), for the recovery of that site and also of the Islamic Museum (formerly known as Villa Volpi), also in Tripoli.

Day 2: Seventh edition of Italian Design Day
The second day of the Urban Expo & Forum of Tripoli will celebrate the seventh edition of the Italian Design Day, with the title “Quality that Illuminates. The Energy of Design for People and the Environment”. The event is promoted by Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and it is an annual thematic event with an international scope. It involves all the network of Italian Embassies, Consulates and Cultural Institutes in the world.

The special guest in Tripoli will be Alessandro Colombo, awarded with the “Compasso d’Oro” in 2004, who will lead the discussion, with the participation of important personalities of Libyan design. A dedicated exhibition will be set up with the name “Light on Made in Italy”, edited by the Italian magazine “Interni” and focused on Italian know-how, illustrated through an anthology of famous companies and designers which brought talent and innovation in the creation of original high-quality products.

It is hoped that the event will inspire and spark more interest on these very important themes, as well as to gather experts and visitors to discuss the latest developments in these areas.