화이트와 그레이 그리고 블랙 패널이 이루는 감각적인 패턴 디자인은
파사드를 결정짓는 중요한 디자인 요소이자 건축물 내부를 외부환경으로 부터 보호하는
역활을 수행하는 방패막입니다. 이와같은 리드믹컬한 패턴의 정렬은 건축가의 자의적인 생각이 아닌
내부공간을 구성하는 프로그램에 따라 결정되어 집니다.
특히 반복적인 패널 패턴 사이로 오픈된 창문들은 내부 실과 밀접하게 관계를 갖으며
불투명한 쉐이딩 글래스와 더불어 내부로 유입되는 태양빛을 적절히 차단합니다.
reviewed by SJ
In the north-eastern outskirts of Milan, as part of the restructuring of the former industrial core that houses the RCS Mediagroup, the new office building B5 designed by Barreca & La Varra studio has just been completed. The building is an integral part of a master plan intended for research and intellectual work and contributes to the incredible transformation which the production areas at the edge of the city have undergone over the past few years.
client: Iniziativa Immobiliare Due s.r.l. (Prelios S.p.A. – Morgan Stanley – RCS Mediagroup)
development management: Prelios S.p.A.
schematic design, design development and artistic supervision: Barreca & La Varra (Gianandrea Barreca, Giovanni La Varra)
with: Andrea Perego (project coordinator), Dino Polverino (artistic supervision coordinator), Alessandro Grassi,
Fabrizio Lampis, Simona Oberti, Marina Ranieri
construction documents and structures: S.C.E. s.n.c.
mechanical and electrical systems: Teknema Consulting S.r.l.
fire protection: Studiogamma s.r.l.
gross floor surface: 9.549 mq
floor area: 2.340 mq
schedule design: 2007-2008
construction: 2008-2011
photographer: Paolo Rosselli
The
new intervention by Barreca & La Varra means to house a series of
programs, from the editorial offices of the RCS newspaper group, to
photography studios and spaces for the multimedia sector. The building
is the result of a high level of professionalism applied throughout
every stage of development in the project.
Designed as a “classe A” (the
equivalent of a LEED platinum) certified structure, B5 is a
parallelepiped volume, with a five story glass façade that wraps around
the building, reminiscent of the image of a barcode. The facades are one
of the main design elements and work as a device that allows the
building to engage with the surrounding urban spaces that form the
boundary of the site, as well as to promote greater flexibility and
spatial quality to the interior workplace.
B5 Barreca La Varra 19 600x900 B5 Building for RCS Mediagroup \ Barreca & La Varra studio
The façade is composed of
vertical alternating shades of white, gray and black (with the exception
of the ground floor where black is the dominant color). The color
“texture” of each floor is staggered in respect to the adjacent floors
of the buildings. The verticality of the project is enhanced by the
black string-course elements.
Giovanni La Varra explains that
the decision to work on the
boundary elements was due to the fact that, in a marginal context such
as it exists at this site, it was important to establish a new front
that would engage the street. They had to establish a new territorial as
well as urban identity.
The facade of B5 attempts to pursue an ideal of composed space and scale.
Each of the glass panels of the
surface, which sometimes appear transparent and at other times opaque
depending on the light, dress the façade and consolidate the dimensions
and forms with precision and grace. The building is easily understood by
the observer. The rhythm and cadence inherent in the structure of the
façade defines the space, designing and arranging the areas within which
individuals interact. Windows are placed between the opaque glass
elements, and a shading system, perpendicular to the façade, was
incorporated thus endowing it with a sort of dynamism.
Gianandrea Barreca states that
The entire building, including the ground floor facing the inner court, is covered with serigraphed and colorful glass panels and vertical screens in the shape of ‘fins’ that emerge from the edges of the façade. The search for a balance between these and other architectural elements, like the black string-course, create for an ever-changing and dynamic façade. The façade then becomes a sort of assembly kit, a structure that indicates the functions, and perhaps more interestingly, generates the perception of the building as a sculpture in the landscape.The operable windows are also the mediators between B5 and the rest of the RCS project. The surrounding cityscape and context are in fact reflected from the glass as if the building were able to “read” the site, tracing on its surface the history, ideas and stories that give the place its current shape. The dialogue between the architecture and the landscape, in this particular case between the façade and the city, is an idea that Barreca & La Varra have always been particularly mindful of since the inception of their firm.
The attempt is to define the façade in a greater sense than is usually required, creating a surface that is much more responsive to its surroundings. The ability to design the compound of the RCS as a creative hub that interacts directly with the public spaces of the area was a major goal of the architects, who wanted to create a “village for intellectual work”.
The restructuring of the RCS compound, in Barreca & La Varra’s project, is essential to the preservation of the history of this part of the city and serves as a catalyst for future development. From the beginning of the 20th century Milan has developed vast industrial areas which are set apart from the rest of the city. These areas grow larger every year and are thus always located in the periphery. Isolated developments are scattered through the countryside with little or no contact between the city and themselves. These areas nowadays often experience hardship, neglect and more often than not, fall into ruin. The new design of the RCS is designed as if it were a cultural and social hub that responds to contemporary issues and needs. The recovery of the area consists of expanding the compound; thus attempting a social construct that is explicit of the ideals of Barreca & La Varra and a competent vehicle for interaction between the publishing group and the Milanese community that is witness to the evolution and the growth of one of the most important business groups in the city.
The construction of B5 has offered a starting point to analyze and comment a few of the issues raised by the project. The book Barreca & La Varra. Questioni di facciata, edited by Moreno Gentili, will be published by Skira in January 2012 in both English and Italian.
from plusmood