M9 Mestre Innovation Hub to Open Late 2018 After Year of Progress
A year after Alessandra Chemollo's open-air photo exhibition traced Mestre's urban transformations, the M9 cultural hub is nearing completion. The project, promoted by Fondazione di Venezia with a €110 million investment, includes seven buildings—five new constructions and the restored volumes of a late 16th-century Benedictine convent, formerly a military barracks. Designed by Berlin-based Sauerbruch Hutton, winners of a 2010 international competition, the hub will feature an innovative multimedia museum on 20th-century Italy and an Innovation Retail Center. The facade restoration of the former Caserma Matter, adjacent to Santa Maria delle Grazie church, was unveiled in December 2016. Managed by Polymnia Venezia under CEO Valerio Zingarelli, M9 aims to generate employment, growth, and community well-being through a mix of culture, research, technology, and retail, targeting a broad audience with a focus on younger generations. The opening is scheduled for late 2018.
Key facts
- Alessandra Chemollo's photo exhibition marked one year since its installation.
- M9 includes seven buildings: five new and two restored from a former convent and barracks.
- Sauerbruch Hutton won the international competition in 2010.
- Fondazione di Venezia invested €110 million in the project.
- The Innovation Retail Center will be housed in the restored convent.
- Polymnia Venezia manages the project with Valerio Zingarelli as CEO.
- M9 will feature a multimedia museum on 20th-century Italy.
- Opening is expected by late 2018.
Entities
Artists
- Alessandra Chemollo
- Louisa Hutton
- Matthias Sauerbruch
Institutions
- Fondazione di Venezia
- Polymnia Venezia
- Sauerbruch Hutton
- Artribune
Locations
- Mestre
- Venice
- Italy
- Berlin
- Germany
- Milan
- Santa Maria delle Grazie