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All Italy Cervia Woodpecker Disco
Woodpecker Disco is permanently closed.

This entry remains in the Atlas as a record of its history, but it is no longer accessible to visitors.

Woodpecker Disco

A domed disco abandoned since the '70s now attracts artists and explorers under its unique roof.

Cervia, Italy

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chiaracoto
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Italian street artist Blu’s work seen at The Woodpecker.   Ale Costa
The circular building was designed by architect Filippo Monti.   Ale Costa
Now abandoned, the space has been the site of parties and artwork.   Ale Costa
The club moved from the city center to a marshland on the outskirts of town.   Ale Costa
The club’s fiberglass dome was the only thing that remained after a fire in the 1970s.   Ale Costa
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About

The Woodpecker disco used to be the hottest spot in town. In 1952 in the seaside resort of Milano Marittima, it was at the top of the nightclub game, an intimate and exclusive spot that attracted people from all over the country to hear the top-notch orchestra and be wowed by world-class service.

But as the area grew, the residents of neighboring houses were getting a little tired of having the nightlife so close by, and the Woodpecker was ousted to a new spot in the marshlands on the outskirts of town. The club would need a new building, and the owners brought in architect Filippo Monti to design the space. Monti recalls the conversation with the owner about putting the new club on the water: "He started as a joke and I said: let's make a circle, let the water surface and we'll put [in] crocodiles."

While there weren't any crocodiles, there certainly was a circle.

Monti's circular design, which began construction in 1966, was capped off with a giant fiberglass dome. The experimental midcentury structure includes partially open archways around its perimeter, making it a not-quite-indoor, not-quite-outdoor space. The club was opened for business in 1968, and the Woodpecker was back and better than ever.

Sadly, the Woodpecker's final end came in the mid-1970s after an electrical fire left only the dome intact. According to the owner, bureaucratic entanglements prevented the club from reopening leaving only, as he put it "the history of a great restaurant."

In more recent years, the abandoned structure has taken on a second life. The lonely dome has been the site of raves, parties, and artwork, including some done by the mysterious Italian street artist "Blu."

Related Tags

Abandoned Graffiti Domes Restaurants Art Dancing Architectural Oddities Architecture
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Added By

chiaracoto

Edited By

Ashawnta

  • Ashawnta

Published

December 18, 2017

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Sources
  • http://www.spaziindecisi.it/space/discoteca-woodpecker/
  • https://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=search&rurl=translate.google.com&sl=it&sp=nmt4&u=http://www.cerviaemilanomarittima.org/2014/12/22/woodpecker-milano-marittima/&usg=ALkJrhgGSgFLstPwBlQX8qMbeTzKbWAXrA
  • https://weburbanist.com/2017/02/12/last-dance-a-dozen-hustled-bustled-abandoned-discos/3/
  • http://blublu.org/sito/blog/
Woodpecker Disco
Viale Nullo Baldini
Cervia
Italy
44.29516, 12.32662
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