ferrarifrongia Architects recently participated in a competition for the Block 17 renovations in Macomer, Italy. Their proposal has been submitted for your viewing pleasure. The full press release of the project, complete with renderings and plans, after the break.
The project regards the renovation of Block 17 as important node to fortify the role of the city of Macomer in the Sardinian region.
In particular, the points of the project are:
- set up two new buildings according to the traditional urban grid, - renovate the existing public square, - transform the residual spaces of the block in urban park.
To restore the continuity on Sardegna street front, two new volumes are settled, which are conceived as one big volume, broken and translated to fill the front voids. The new buildings energetically stand respect to the surrounding, confirming them modernity and qualifying all the street. The continuity between the two different levels of the parcel is solved through the configuration of the buildings. The circulation between Sardegna street and Uguaglianza street is canalized in a promenade, which flow through the front and evolve along the building floors as a continuous ramp.
Despite the buildings configuration is the same, functions are different. The A building, facing the square, held cultural and social activities as exposition, in particular in the ground floor, conceived as a galleria, were event and public relation can be carried on. The colored bench, with integrated vegetation, remark the inspiration of the space, between an inside and outside space. The B building reconnect the existing commercial activities of Sardegna street, hosting shops and services related to the intellectual activities.
The articulation of volumes and the facade organization are related to the sustainability. The south front, on Uguaglianza street, is configured by a wide glass facade with high performance, which guarantees a fully radiance of the inside spaces. Moreover, on the south side the promenade ramps extend their surface to became green terraces with a significant solar radiation. The glass facade are protected from the direct solar light by a cantilever roof. On the north side, the facade is composed by concrete panels shaped with small rounded windows to prevent as much as possible the heat exchange. These rounded windows, together with the rounded relief, characterize the facade with a reminiscence of the ancient history of Macomer. The rounder relief want to celebrate the old sculptures typical of that area, the “betili mammellati”, of the XVI sec. a.C., which symbolize the fertility for the primitive population of Macomer.
The renovation of public square is carried by the transformation of the stepped floor in one single flat pavement, declined to give to the skaters the possibility to make their performances. The floor is made out partially of wood, and partially of smooth and high resistance concrete. Moreover, the square is brighten up by 6 multifunctional benches, which celebrate the entrance of the main building. The benches work as normal sit, as podium for concerts, they are connected directly with the underground parking, they collaborate to the air circulation and moreover, they deal the lighting of all the square, with a pattern of lights related to the facade of the buildings.
To opening the square to big events and reduce the damages during this events, all the greenery is moved to the back of the Block 17, in the residual spaces, constituting a urban park, together with the buildings green terraces. Indeed, the ramps in the ground floor for both buildings became paths spread throughout the green area, provided by sitting place to relax and trees to enjoy the fresh air into penumbra.
