One of the studio’s first museum projects was the development of the exhibition path in the Lombroso Pavilion, which then became the Museum of the History of Psychiatry.

The Lombroso Pavilion is a historic building within the former San Lazzaro Psychiatric Hospital in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Named after Cesare Lombroso, a 19th-century Italian criminologist and psychiatrist known for his controversial theories on the links between criminal behaviour and physical characteristics, the pavilion is part of a larger complex that played a significant role in the history of Italian psychiatry.

The Lombroso Pavilion, like other buildings in the San Lazzaro complex, was used for the treatment and housing of psychiatric patients. Over time, it became a significant site for the study and practice of psychiatry, housing important collections of medical instruments, patient records, and other materials related to the history of mental health care in Italy.

The museum exhibition project was conceived to highlight the extraordinary heritage that makes Reggio Emilia a privileged centre for the collection of materials related to the history of Italian psychiatry. 

In addition to the extensive bibliographic collection of the Carlo Livi Scientific Library—unique in its kind and among the richest in Italy—the former San Lazzaro Institute houses significant and sometimes unique testimonies from the history of psychiatry. Some examples are: instances of restraint and therapeutic instruments; a noteworthy sample of scientific instruments; approximately 1,500 photographs that reconstruct the life and history of the Institute starting from 1880; tens of thousands of clinical records currently under study and publication; an intriguing collection of videos on mental illness; nearly 8,000 artworks produced by patients over more than a century.

The new museum structure was designed to protect and promote these invaluable testimonies. At the same time, it was also important to convey easily and transparently the study and research of the history of psychiatry and its transformations. 

The exhibition design not only emphasises the explicit preservation and enhancement of the Lombroso Pavillion’s memory and heritage, but it also wants to read the history of the venue through the lenses of modern multimedia systems and devices. These are used for educational and informational purposes to convey the history of the place through an educational and accessible vocabulary. At the same time, however, technology allows for the public to be engaged on a deeper and more emotional level thanks to the opportunity to give voice to the various personalities that have passed and impacted the history of the Pavilion.

More in general, however, the whole exhibition project is based on the will to introduce a narrative that can be open to personal interpretations and insights. The installations want to trace the most important themes and elements of the history of San Lazzaro while weaving them together with the broader history and evolution of psychiatric care, offering at the same time a comprehensive understanding of mental distress and diversity.