Nichtoffener Wettbewerb | 12/2013
Neubau für zwei Modeschulen / Nuova Scuola d'arti e mestieri della sartoria e Scuola cantonale per la tecnica di abbigliamento
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Finalist
Erläuterungstext
A strategic location
The railway station is an important part of the architectural heritage of Chiasso, an central point of reference in the history of the city, an engine of city life and economy.
The aesthetic of "Collage" and "Objet Trouve"
The infrastructural podium where the station activities occur is one of the historical values of the complex and must be maintained, as well as the railway station. The area of intervention proposed by FFS does not include the railway station, but a number of buildings associated to its use (post offices, warehouses, administration of the railway companies ) that despite having no significant historical value, could be considered among the buildings with a greater cultural value of Chiasso, and some of them with a remarkable architectural quality . The nature of the urban fabric in the area of Chiasso railway station is varied, both aesthetically and programmatically. Our proposal embraces this diversity to build the character of the school Sams / Sta, with the aim of stimulating the urban memory of Chiasso. Remembering the Hornblende Schist (local stone from Passo del Lucomagno ) , the building is conceived as an urban cluster that agglutinates the existing urban fabric with new building elements. It is our intention to capitalize the public appreciation of existing buildings in order to provide a strong identity for the new complex. The building Sams / Sta will represent its new role as an educational institution of international fashion design with a distinctive presence, being able to consolidate the existing urban fabric . The articulation between the existing buildings and the new parts designed to meet the requirements of the school will produce the new physical presence of the complex.
Urban Recycling
From an ecological point of view, in this era of environmental conscience, it seems much more appropriate to use a strategy of urban recycling . The conservation strategy that we propose, the "urban recycling " or " retrofitting " not only wants to keep the existing, but also tries that they become more dynamic and modern while retaining the distinctive and representative of the context in order not to lose the urban memory. One of the most important considerations in this situation is the impossibility to calculate the environmental costs of a new building, and the inability to create buildings with thermal inertia similar to those that are already present on the site. In an era where energy resources are dwindling and climate change has become a critical issue for our city, it would be irresponsible to simply demolish the existing buildings in order to build a new one with the relative reductions of vital resources. The Urban recycling is an appropriate strategy for the redevelopment of the area of the station of Chiasso. Revitalize the area as a series of public spaces associated with the new features of the school building, the residential and administrative buildings are also an important part of the strategy. We do not believe that the construction of a new urban structure will be cheaper than the renovation of the old complex. The expenditure required to strengthen the structure and enlarge the foundations of the building will be reduced by the reconstruction of a whole new system for the complex.
The aesthetics of the flows
On the other hand, this area is strongly characterized by the infrastructural flows surrounding the site. In response to this dynamic environment, we opted for a formal language inspired by the passage of trains and from the language of the rails in order to propose an architectural flow infrastructure. The formal language of abstract volumes shifted and a horizontal narrative that relates to the linearity of the trains, the rails and the longitudinal nature of the site, is proposed as a formal strategy for the overall masterplan. We believe that by relating the buildings and infrastructure elements, we build a contemporary and dynamic character of the new public enclave.
The railway station is an important part of the architectural heritage of Chiasso, an central point of reference in the history of the city, an engine of city life and economy.
The aesthetic of "Collage" and "Objet Trouve"
The infrastructural podium where the station activities occur is one of the historical values of the complex and must be maintained, as well as the railway station. The area of intervention proposed by FFS does not include the railway station, but a number of buildings associated to its use (post offices, warehouses, administration of the railway companies ) that despite having no significant historical value, could be considered among the buildings with a greater cultural value of Chiasso, and some of them with a remarkable architectural quality . The nature of the urban fabric in the area of Chiasso railway station is varied, both aesthetically and programmatically. Our proposal embraces this diversity to build the character of the school Sams / Sta, with the aim of stimulating the urban memory of Chiasso. Remembering the Hornblende Schist (local stone from Passo del Lucomagno ) , the building is conceived as an urban cluster that agglutinates the existing urban fabric with new building elements. It is our intention to capitalize the public appreciation of existing buildings in order to provide a strong identity for the new complex. The building Sams / Sta will represent its new role as an educational institution of international fashion design with a distinctive presence, being able to consolidate the existing urban fabric . The articulation between the existing buildings and the new parts designed to meet the requirements of the school will produce the new physical presence of the complex.
Urban Recycling
From an ecological point of view, in this era of environmental conscience, it seems much more appropriate to use a strategy of urban recycling . The conservation strategy that we propose, the "urban recycling " or " retrofitting " not only wants to keep the existing, but also tries that they become more dynamic and modern while retaining the distinctive and representative of the context in order not to lose the urban memory. One of the most important considerations in this situation is the impossibility to calculate the environmental costs of a new building, and the inability to create buildings with thermal inertia similar to those that are already present on the site. In an era where energy resources are dwindling and climate change has become a critical issue for our city, it would be irresponsible to simply demolish the existing buildings in order to build a new one with the relative reductions of vital resources. The Urban recycling is an appropriate strategy for the redevelopment of the area of the station of Chiasso. Revitalize the area as a series of public spaces associated with the new features of the school building, the residential and administrative buildings are also an important part of the strategy. We do not believe that the construction of a new urban structure will be cheaper than the renovation of the old complex. The expenditure required to strengthen the structure and enlarge the foundations of the building will be reduced by the reconstruction of a whole new system for the complex.
The aesthetics of the flows
On the other hand, this area is strongly characterized by the infrastructural flows surrounding the site. In response to this dynamic environment, we opted for a formal language inspired by the passage of trains and from the language of the rails in order to propose an architectural flow infrastructure. The formal language of abstract volumes shifted and a horizontal narrative that relates to the linearity of the trains, the rails and the longitudinal nature of the site, is proposed as a formal strategy for the overall masterplan. We believe that by relating the buildings and infrastructure elements, we build a contemporary and dynamic character of the new public enclave.
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