Carlana Mezzalira Pentimalli

Description

The main characteristic of the industrial estates of North-Eastern Italy lies in the limited presence of spaces conceived for collective use. Starting from this condition, and in deliberate contrast to it, the new office building in Vascon di Carbonera was designed as a place of encounter as well as a flexible working structure capable of adapting over time. In many respects, it is a «generous» building, distinguished by a roof conceived as a shared public square, standing out within its context through the artistic intervention by Lorenzo Mason. The entire project was conceived around the void beneath this rooftop recreational area, with the aim of creating additional flexible spaces belonging to everyone. The building structure is made entirely of exposed reinforced concrete, finished with a mineral blue wash matching the chromatic tone of the window frames. It was conceived as an isotropic system, composed of a large-span structural grid with a cantilevered perimeter ring accommodating the service spaces, such as staircases, restrooms and technical rooms. When necessary, these service units can be integrated or dismantled and reassembled in other perimeter positions, as if the building itself were a prototype project. This approach reflects the idea that transformability and reversibility should be among the defining qualities of contemporary architecture. More than an office building, it is a place for encounter that may one day evolve into something else.