A NEW HEADQUARTERS FOR AN IMPORTANT INSTITUTION IN VARES
From the competition report:
Introduction
This preliminary project proposal for the expansion, redevelopment and rationalization of the spaces of the Gulliver Center in Varese proceeds from the suggestions provided by the client and the impressions aroused during the inspections carried out by the designers to explore possible design solutions aimed at improving the existing situation and its current layout.
The needs that emerged during these initial approaches appear to be aimed primarily at finding new spaces for the transfer of the administration and the consulting room outside the main building, to be redeveloped from an energy point of view and to be mainly used for the Recovery Community; at the same time, the aim is to enhance the large underground volume existing beneath the courtyard facing the Hippodrome, which has been in a state of abandonment for many years.
The project proposal, in addition to the responses to the specific requests of the client, intends to offer a comprehensive reinterpretation of the layout of the entire property starting from the recognition of the relationships that link it to the broader context, placing at the center of the reflection the role of the open space in the construction of a welcoming and liveable environment that can actively support the recovery activity carried out by the Gulliver Center.
Project
The project strategy is aimed at clarifying the relationships and interferences between the Community, the Consultancy, the Study Center and the administration. In particular, the distinction of the Community spaces, including the open space around it, from the other activities that are normally open to the public in their daily activities was considered a priority.
In finding new spaces, we tried not to occupy other undeveloped land, maximizing the use of the so-called ‘hole’. We also preferred to avoid locating the new administrative spaces in the site indicated by the client, considering it not optimal for two reasons: firstly, it would be a position with little sun (and constantly in the shade during the winter); secondly, the open space, which for this project is an integral part of the recovery community, would be in a promiscuous situation that this proposal aims to avoid.
The Community – to which the oldest part of the complex is now completely dedicated – is accessed via the vehicle ramp that also leads to the new covered parking lot, dedicated to the Gulliver Center staff. The path that links the different ‘rooms’ into which the park is divided leads to the pedestrian terrace created on the roof of the study centre, furnished with green areas and seats, and then to the internal courtyard, from which the building is accessed.
On the ground floor, a new large atrium connects the courtyard with the park behind it. The recovery of the large underground volume of the ‘hole’, a public hall that was never completed, plays a prominent role in this project. The great height of the excavation suggested a horizontal subdivision: at the lowest level: new parking spaces for visitors; above, a cloistered space, open under the courtyard of the old orphanage, surrounded by the rooms that in this proposal are dedicated to the clinic. Access to the clinic is from the lower floor, via a staircase and elevators that can be reached both from the parking lot and from the entrance to the Study Center, which is here enabled to manage all public access.
According to this proposal, the new administration offices will be located in close relation to the wing of the Study Center, which in turn will be reorganized to house deposits and archives, occupying the cylindrical volume located at the head on Via Albani and, in order to increase the available space, providing for the addition to be made using a wooden structure. The cladding, which involves both the new construction and the existing building underneath, standardizes the language of the entrance to the property, becoming a recognizable signal for those passing along Via Albani.
The new buildings will have performances that will guarantee high levels of comfort for users, typical of passive buildings: a very efficient envelope and advanced systems are planned.
Insulation with significant thicknesses and high-performance windows guarantee the insulation of the structure, in order to avoid dispersion and retain the heat generated, while the thermodynamic controlled mechanical ventilation regulates temperature, humidity and takes care of the hourly air changes required by law. The photovoltaic system positioned on the roof will guarantee the electricity supply of the new buildings.
Year: 2020
Structure: Traditional
State: Project
Location: Varese