Montemurro Aguiar Architetti

Description

The new headquarters of the Raiffeisen Bank of Campagnadorna in Stabio displays a contrast between two orthogonal sides towards the main cantonal road and one side towards the historical residential area of the town. The squareness of the building is based on the geometry of the industrial buildings in the area. The part of the building facing the historical residential area takes the form of a curved soft skin that incorporates spaces like those typically present in old towns. The curved shape of the building is designed to create a big “square” and engage in a dialogue with the presented scenario. The building thus offers a continuity of the public spaces. We wanted it to be not only a bank but also a public space, a transitional zone, a pedestrian link that leads to the railway station. This connection is projected by the court under the building as an underpass at the pivotal point where the main entrance of the bank is located. The bank’s atrium rises three floors high, lit by a skylight. This becomes the theme of the project, as the client’s intention was to create an “open” and “transparent” bank, a new concept of banking. The light is fundamental in this empty space. From there, a curved staircase leads customers to a consulting area on the first floor. The offices of each of the two upper floors are organised along the orthogonal sides of the building.