Lemonot Wins Competition to Redesign Chiostro of Museo Minà Palumbo in Castelbuono

The Museo Minà Palumbo in Castelbuono, Sicily, has announced the winners of the first edition of the 'Cassidaria Minae' architecture competition. The international studio Lemonot, founded by Sabrina Morreale and Lorenzo Perri and based in London, will create a modular, low-impact installation for the Chiostro di San Francesco, the 18th-century convent's cloister. The project, set to debut in late January 2025, aims to transform the cloister into a multifunctional winter pavilion for exhibitions and events. The competition was organized by the museum and the Museo Civico del Castello dei Ventimiglia, with support from the Palermo-based architecture firm AM3. The initiative is part of a broader renovation of the natural history museum, funded by PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) funds, which includes accessibility improvements, a new contemporary art collection, and a gallery curated by Francesco Piazza set to open in March 2025. The museum's president, Michele Spallino, and director Salvatore Leone are leading the renewal, which also features a new font called 'Minà Palumbo' designed by Giangiorgio Fuga based on the handwriting of the 19th-century naturalist Francesco Minà Palumbo. Other ongoing activities include the Poetry of Nature Prize (fifth edition), the Details # urban regeneration project, and collaborations with the University of Palermo.