New florence
Location: Florence
Area: 12.300 Smq
Cliente: Asset Management Company
Project time: 2017 – 2018
PREMISE
Brazilian architect and urban planner Lúcio Costa once said that today a century lasts twenty-five years: continuously evolving demographic patterns and the interconnectedness of billions of people place architecture under far more rapid judgement cycles than in the past.
Architecture is therefore called upon to respond to the trends of the contemporary world, which increasingly favour building refurbishments over new constructions—even in cases where demolition and reconstruction would be more cost-effective.
Building regulations, social factors, historical and identity-related considerations remain the driving forces behind the preservation and adaptation of existing buildings, particularly when— as in our case— the original architect is a major figure in post-war Italian design: Pierluigi Spadolini.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPERTY
The project concerns a large real-estate complex located in a mainly residential area of Florence. The building consists of two residential blocks, connected at ground level by a street-facing commercial podium housing shops as well as the main entrance to the apartments.
A skilled interplay of additions, cuts, and subtractions decomposes and visually reduces the volume of the main structure into five “apparent” tower buildings. These are crowned with pitched pavilion roofs and linked by overhanging balcony walkways that create a pleasant movement across the façade. Moreover, the use of two-tone brick cladding running vertically along the building height supports the designer’s strategy of masking and tapering the true bulk of the structure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERVENTION
The condominium is served by four stair cores with lifts, each of which provides access to two apartments per floor and connects to two basement levels. Apartment sizes range from 50 to 150 square metres, and each benefits from both a street-facing view and an inner courtyard outlook.
By contemporary residential standards, the flats are oversized, and the ground-floor spaces no longer comply with current usability requirements, which have evolved over time.
The proposed refurbishment project includes a partial change of use of the first floor, converting part of it from residential to commercial. At the most visible point of the commercial podium, a two-storey restaurant/bar is envisaged, with access extending onto the roof.
For the second, third, fourth and fifth floors, five types of dwellings have been designed, ranging from 60 to 90 square metres. These layouts were studied according to their position within the building and are all characterised by a modern organisation of both shared and private domestic spaces.
FAÇADE RESTYLING AND EXTERNAL WORKS
The approach to the external façades aimed to minimise intervention costs by avoiding a complete replacement of the perimeter walls. Instead, work was carried out on individual façade elements (the crowning cornice, balcony parapets, attic pergola, and brick cladding) to create a lighter and more attractive appearance. In summary, the works included:
a. Removal of the existing prefabricated crowning cornice, which currently makes the façade appear heavy and lacking verticality;
b. Replacement of the balcony parapets, previously in reinforced concrete and glazed panels, with new metal railings designed to incorporate green elements—particularly in the projecting balconies—giving the building a more natural and eco-friendly character;
c. Painting of the internal balcony brickwork to achieve a more contemporary look.
Regarding the external areas of the building, a new entrance has been designed for the new tertiary functions on the ground and first floors, positioned opposite the existing residential entrance to avoid interference between the different uses that will occupy the property.
Lastly, all external paved areas and perimeter green spaces have been redesigned, with new shrubs and trees planted and dedicated areas for social interaction created.
CONCLUSION
A complex intervention requiring extensive urban planning, engineering and architectural analysis. A thorough assessment of the real-estate potential of the building, both in relation to its surrounding neighbourhood and to the local community that inhabits and identifies with it.