Palazzo dell'Aeronautica, building in Ferrara, Italy
The Palazzo dell'Aeronautica is an administrative building and residential structure built between 1935 and 1937 at the corner of Viale Cavour and Via Ariosto in Ferrara. The facade features red brick and marble, with a striking curved corner section, two large columns framing the main entrance, and two white marble spheres at the base. Windows are arranged in regular patterns, while horizontal lines emphasize the clean geometry of the rationalist style.
The palazzo was built between 1935 and 1937 under architect Giorgio Gandini's design and originally served as the Medical-Legal Institute of the Royal Italian Air Force. The structure emerged during a period when Italy was modernizing its military infrastructure and using buildings as symbols of power and order.
The building carries the name of the institution it was meant to serve, and locals see it as an important piece of their modern history. The white marble spheres at the entrance and the clean geometric forms speak of a time when architecture aimed to express order and progress.
The building is easy to spot from outside at the busy corner of Viale Cavour and Via Ariosto and can be viewed from the street. Since interior spaces are not regularly open to visitors, a walk past the exterior is rewarding to appreciate the architectural details and the perspective effect from different vantage points.
The building has no classical front facade but was deliberately designed to be best appreciated from different angles and while moving past it. The two white marble spheres at the entrance add an almost surreal quality to the architecture, creating a mysterious balance between functional simplicity and artistic expression.
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