Edicola 518
EDICOLA 518
Giuseppe Arezzi
ARCHITECTS
Giuseppe Arezzi
LEAD ARCHITECTS
Giuseppe Arezzi
LEAD TEAM
Giuseppe Arezzi
DESIGN TEAM
Matteo Pettorali
ENGINEERING & CONSULTING > OTHER
Listone Giordano
TECHNICAL PARTNER
Seed Festival, Umbra Acque
PHOTOGRAPHS
Giovanni Emilio Galanello
AREA
10 m²
YEAR
2026
LOCATION
Perugia, Italy
CATEGORY
Urbanism, Small Scale
English description provided by the architects.
The project for Edicola 518 redefines the kiosk for independent magazines and books along the historic staircase of Sant'Ercolano in Perugia, transforming it into an "Urban oasis for cultural exhibitionism" and a device for social activation.
Characterized by its red hue, the intervention marks a sharp chromatic break with the past while preserving the original shell.
The interior of the kiosk houses a multifunctional, stepped furniture piece crafted from lacquered oak: a micro-architectural volume designed to welcome gathering and reading, while seamlessly integrating the kiosk's technical compartments.
At its center, a stainless-steel fountain introduces a public function dedicated to providing free drinking water, while the updated window frames double as a display system for a freely accessible selection of independent publications.
The project upends the traditional typology of the newspaper kiosk, where the partition counter historically imposed a rigid barrier between the vendor and the public, canceling out any spatial dialogue.
In this intervention, the archetype is completely overturned in favor of absolute permeability:
an outdoor platform extends the floor area and integrates spontaneous seating, configuring a fluid device designed to remain accessible to the public even during closing hours at night.
Completing the project is "Ambo," a new stool-bookstand, designed exclusively for the collaboration between Edicola 518 and Seed Festival, with a height of 20 cm.
Developed to compensate for the step's elevation change, the module shifts between a seat and a display tool for books and magazines, acting as an extension of the project that ventures out into the surrounding public space.
