Dante Bini receives Premio Emilia-Romagna Cultura, conversation with Mario Cucinella released

Architect Dante Bini, born in 1932 in Modena, will receive the inaugural Premio Emilia-Romagna Cultura on February 20, 2024, awarded by regional president Stefano Bonaccini and culture assessor Mauro Felicori. The prize recognizes his extraordinary achievements in architectural research and development of innovative construction techniques, notably over 100 patents on construction automation. Bini is internationally known for the Binishell system, a technique developed in the mid-1960s that uses pneumatic formwork to build thin reinforced concrete dome structures, adopted in hundreds of buildings worldwide. His first dome was erected in his hometown Castelfranco Emilia. The system gained global success in the United States, where Bini moved in the 1970s, continuing his work on geodesic structures and prefabrication methods in wood and steel. The region emphasizes his 'Emilian pragmatism' alongside his visionary experimentation. A notable work is the 'Cupola' summer residence in Sardinia for filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni and actress Monica Vitti, which has fallen into disrepair and was vandalized in July 2023, despite being under cultural protection since 2015. The award may help draw attention to its hoped-for restoration. A video conversation between Bini and architect Mario Cucinella, who is designing the next Italy Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, was recorded on the hills of Arezzo. Bini shares the prize with opera singer Raina Kabaivanska.