Tridentine Diocesan Museum, Trento

Tridentine Diocesan Museum, Trento, Italy
1995
Client: Arcidiocesi di Trento
Exhibition Designer: Arch. Vittoria Wolf
Lighting Designer: Arch. Massimo Iarussi

The Tridentine Diocesan Museum of Trento was founded in 1903 in order to safeguard the artistic heritage of the Diocese. Only in 1963, on the occasion of the fourth centenary of the Council of Trent, could the Museum have a permanent seat next to the Cathedral of S. Vigilio, in “Palazzo Pretorio”, the former residence of the prince-bishops.
In 1995, the Museum underwent a radical renovation which resulted in a new layout, and a new lighting system was also realized.
Particular attention was paid to the lighting of the precious collection of Flemish tapestries. The solution is based on the use of an optical guide system [light pipes], consisting of solid methacrylate tubes with very high transparency, inside which the luminous flux of small lamps, placed at both ends of the duct, is conveyed. Special transverse milling with microprisms interrupt the internal reflection, causing the flow to escape through a sector of the duct along its entire length. The result is an extremely clean light effect, which guarantees at the same time the best conservation of the works, since all the non-visible, potentially harmful radiation is filtered out of the duct. The fact that the light source is not live has also made it possible to create an interesting architectural solution, in which the duct itself acts as a barrier for the public.