MOTO GUZZI OPENS GREG LYNN MUSEUM IN MANDELLO

Summary:

• Moto Guzzi opens a €50 million factory and museum in Mandello del Lario.
• Greg Lynn designed the 38,000-square-metre facility.
• The museum displays over 160 historical motorcycles.

Moto Guzzi has opened a rebuilt factory and museum in Mandello del Lario on the shores of Lake Como. American architect Greg Lynn designed the new €50 million facility over a period of five years. The project encompasses a working production plant and a dedicated exhibition space.

You approach the museum through a series of tapered conical volumes stepping down towards the central piazza. Vertical seams of grey metal wrap the exterior walls. These exterior shapes echo the mountains standing directly behind the buildings. Where the structure faces the retail shop, the cladding changes to deep Guzzi red. You will notice circular and oval windows inspired by motorcycle headlamps and instrument dials. One specific window sits within a curved wall like a ship porthole.

Inside the building, the galleries feature white walls and curved balustrades. Oval openings cut through the upper floors align with a circular roof light ringed with bulbs. The exhibition displays over 160 restored motorcycles on low plinths. You will find early prototypes and historical racing models representing 14 world titles. A timber hull hangs suspended from the ceiling above the collection. The main reception area features a green arched counter and black leather ring seating. In the Moto Guzzi Caffè, designers paired a pale terrazzo floor with a mint-green coffered ceiling. Brass rings hold opal glass globes above archive posters and racing photographs. Urbantime aluminium tube benches provide outdoor seating for visitors.

The industrial section adds 5,500 square metres of new construction to the site. The factory now covers 38,000 square metres and produces over 30,000 motorcycles annually. A robotic conveyor links engine production with final assembly. The roof holds 1,300 square metres of photovoltaic panels for energy generation. You have a clear view of the production lines and access to a raised terrace overlooking a mosaic eagle piazza. Moto Guzzi welcomes visitors for the World Days event running from September 3 to September 6.