OGR Torino: A Critical Review of the New Cultural Hub

Gianluigi Ricuperati critiques the newly opened Officine Grandi Riparazioni (OGR) in Turin, a cultural center supported by Fondazione CRT. He praises the ambitious vision but points out significant flaws: the architectural design is mediocre, with a bizarre purgatory-like layout and poor integration of public space; the artistic program is almost entirely male-dominated, with a male-only board and curatorial team; the food options lack Turin's culinary tradition; and the venue fails to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue or public knowledge production. Ricuperati calls for a higher ambition, including an international architecture competition, a gender-balanced leadership, and a focus on education and lifelong learning. He dreams of OGR becoming a hub for archives, startups, and innovative exchange, similar to Trieste's porto franco. The article was published on Artribune in October 2017.