Maurice Nio on Expanding Centro Pecci: Interview

Maurice Nio, the architect behind the expansion of Centro Pecci in Prato, discusses his unconventional approach and the challenges of linking his design to Italo Gamberini's original building. Nio, who graduated cum laude from Delft University of Technology in 1988 with a thesis on a villa for Michael Jackson, worked at BDG Architekten Ingenieurs from 1991 to 1996 before founding his own firm on January 1, 2000. The expansion, named "Sensing from the Waves," addresses the museum's previous lack of a clear entrance and confusing circulation by introducing a circular layout shaped like the figure eight. Seven large windows, originally intended for viewing outdoor sculptures, now connect interior and exterior, while Solatube technology brings natural light into the galleries without heat issues, developed with lighting architect Bernardo D'Ippolito of Kino Workshop. Nio's book "SupraSensitivity in Architecture," collecting 120 works of art and architecture with Asian symbols, will be presented on Tuesday, October 25 at the Embassy of the Netherlands in Rome, inspiring a homonymous exhibition at the reopened Centro Pecci. Nio emphasizes that the museum's opening is not an end but a beginning for Prato and the region, warning against complacency. He names all his projects symbolically, believing a name gives life to a structure. Born in Indonesia and based in Rotterdam, Nio acknowledges his Asian roots as fundamental to his work.