RECOVERY OF TINTORETTO TOWER
COMPETITION FOR THE RECOVERY OF THE TINTORETTO TOWER
Project team:
1. Paolo Galantini (Team Leader)
2. Marco Biondi
3. Gorayeb Speziale
Place: Brescia
The redevelopment of the Tower starts from the current architectural image, the intent is not to modify the volumetric perception of an element that represents an important sign in the surrounding landscape (in fact it is part of a complex of similar towers), but to redevelop it both externally and internally, preserving the chromatism, interpreted as a link with the painter Jacopo Robusti from whom the building takes its name. In this spirit, the perspective views were characterized by the insertion of figures taken from the works of Tintoretto.
The maintenance of chromatism and geometry allows to safeguard the integrity of the spatial and volumetric relationships with the surrounding environment.
The creation of a central void lightens the heaviness of the volumetric block and becomes the representative place of the building, a catalyzing space, characterized by a multiplicity of views. The collective dimension of the residents; life revolves around this space as well as, during the day, the collective moment of working life as opposed to the individual moment of work in the single office unit.
The allowed increase of 20% of the GFA in addition to that subtracted for the construction of the central void, for the demolition of the garage and the commercial spaces in front of the Tower, determines a GFA available for the new building, partially used for the construction of 3 buildings making up the central courtyard.
These new buildings spatially define a rectangular square with green areas, whose public vocation makes it a catalytic place for the life of the entire neighborhood.
The gray sandstone slabs of the pavement reproduce the dimensions of the new openings in the tower. The design of the green spaces follows the modular layout of the facade and flooring. The dimensions of the benches, equally made of sandstone and characterized by a horizontal luminous band at the base, are linked to the prevailing module of the square project.
The construction of the square involved the demolition of the garage and the commercial spaces in front of the Tower and the design of a new underground car park with 198 parking spaces, 11 of which for the disabled.
The choices underlying the environmental concept see the application of passive and active strategies: the reduction of energy demand through correct and simple bioclimatic design criteria, such as compact forms and high-performance envelope materials; the improvement of the insulation behavior in both winter and summer, providing for the north and east walls as insulation the rock wool, while for the south and west walls the cork, to improve the capacitive behavior thanks to its considerable thermal inertia; the use of selective glass in the south and west facades and low-emission glass in the north and east facades; the construction of the ventilated facade; the inclusion of high efficiency and low consumption plant systems; the use of renewable sources such as photovoltaic, solar thermal and geothermal which cover part of the energy demand.
The presence of greenery both in the large central space and in the square and in the roofs of the new buildings favors the control of the external microclimate and contributes to passive cooling in the summer and thermal insulation in the winter. The irrigation of green areas is guaranteed by means of a rainwater collection system.
A reversible cycle heat pump system combined with vertical geothermal probes is provided for air conditioning in winter and summer. A combined system of radiant panels and AHU with heat recovery is envisaged to ensure compliance with the comfort levels in the environment and the correct number of air changes.
As regards the darkening, external sliding sunscreens in colored steel are provided, contained within the air gap of the ventilated facade.
The integration of renewable sources together with a particular attention to the choice of high efficiency plant technologies allow, therefore, to reduce energy consumption and therefore the costs related to the conditioning, lighting and operation of the equipment electric.