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New European Bauhaus
News article13 April 2021

Blending the built and natural environments

We are interested in examples of built structures that belong in their context and respect their surroundings. 

Palaluxottica_web
Palaluxottica site
Simone Bossi

Studios Botter and Bressan shared through our website the example of Palaluxottica.

The unit is in Agordo Italy, out of the city centre. It's in an alpine landscape out of the urban settlement, but well connected to the public network, schools, leisure centres, and infrastructure.

The building has several functions: it hosts get-together events for the local community & entertainment activities. It will be used for concerts, theatrical performances, conferences & art exhibitions.

Its structure is characterized by a repeated pitched roof which draws a recognizable sign through the landscape from South to North. The design takes inspiration from the typical constructions of the Agordinian Valleys (tabià), with a wooden frame and cross-bracing elements.

The North and West facades have large glass curtain walls facing the landscape for admiring the mountains from the main hall.

The East & South elevations are instead blind & oriented respectively towards a sloping green area and the lading bay. A large cantilevered roof over the glass curtain walls protects visitors' entrances and the wooden structure from atmospheric agents. It also shields the main hall from direct sun during the summer and allows for sun intake during the winter to reduce cooling & heating ventilation costs.

For flexibility, the main hall is free from structural elements. It can be divided into sub-modules and partitioned to serve the needs of the building and its users. The structure is very adaptable. The building has been temporarily converted from August 2020 into a mask production plant for Italy to help with the Covid19 crisis.

The supporting structure is made out of timber for environmental compatibility & consistency with the Alpine building tradition. Wood was chosen for its high quality from a structural, acoustic & sustainability perspective. Low-carbon materials and dry-assembled prefabricated elements were used, which means limited construction site times & more mechanical precision. Geothermal energy is used as a renewable energy source.

Have you seen similar examples where you live?


? Palaluxottica / © Simone Bossi

Details

Publication date
13 April 2021