BULLERI PALACE
RESTORATION AND RE-OPERATION OF THE BUILDING, CASCINA (PI)
Funds PNRR and PINQUA
Project team:
1. Paolo Galantini
2. Marco Biondi
3. Stefano Cresci
4. PB Architetti
5. Sofia Froli
6. Giada Silvaroli
7. Juri Chelotti
Preface - The intervention was concerned with recovering and re-functionalizing Bulleri Palace, historically used as a furniture factory, today social hub and space for various associations, in addition to hosting a series of offices used by the adjacent library. Apart from the facades and the roof, the most important aspect was the design of the building’s security thanks to a structural intervention and the construction on the second floor of two apartments
Location of the intervention - Palazzo Bulleri is located in the town of Cascina in the province of Pisa. The historical centre of the town is crossed by Corso Giacomo Matteotti, from west to east, culminating with Palazzo Bulleri which is located next to the Municipal Library, and is inserted right in the intersection point of Via Tosco romagnola, Corso Matteotti, Viale Comasco Comaschi.
Historical Notes - The building is part of that set of buildings made as a result of the increase in productive activities, which between 1907 and 1942 determined the transformation of the historic city center. In the first half of the 20th century, 42 furniture factories were built at Cascina, including the Bulleri brothers' furniture factory, now known as Palazzo Bulleri, built between 1907 and 1909. The building initially consisted of only two floors above ground, to which was then added a further floor, probably from 1930. Bulleri Palace in fact has a plastered band with references to the past of what was its function, In fact, there is still an inscription on the plastered band of a prospectus "Chairs and armchairs brothers Bulleri Mobili".
The furniture manufacturer’s production activity is as far back as the building itself. In 1995 the municipality bought the complex that included the current building and the sheds, the latter renovated in 1998 to be used as the current seat of the municipal library. Later, the building was divided into a ground floor to allow the library and municipal offices to use some spaces, which were renovated, as well as part of the first and second floors.In 2015 it was decided to allocate part of the space of the building to temporary headquarters of local associations.
Description of the project - The part of the library, located on the ground floor of Palazzo Bulleri, will be used to host multifunctional spaces dedicated to the activities of third sector entities operating in the municipality. On the other hand, the remarkable development of socio-cultural and tourist promotion activity, also favored by the strong will to resume social relations in the post-pandemic period, has brought out the need to find a multifunctional space suitable for hosting events, refreshments or activities related to those of the gipsoteca. This space could find a suitable location on the roof terrace of part of the library, adjacent to the south facade of Palazzo Bulleri with the construction of a covered structure - discovered in relation to the climatic season whose design will still have to take into account the context (views of Palazzo Bulleri on the terrace and access from the same terrace to the technical rooms of the library). The space, then, when not used for holding public events, could host a literary internet cafe. The dwellings planned for the second floor are built, while the first floor is also intended as a multifunctional space.
Project - The floor plans of the ground floor and first floor have remained almost unchanged, unless the insertion of septa to ensure an earthquake-resistant structural consolidation to the building, these are repeated on all floors except the part of the attic.
On the ground floor, the space is divided between the area assigned to the adjacent library and that which will be used for associations that will be hosted within Palazzo Bulleri. In particular, the inclusion of the elevator compartment near the main entrance and the delimitation of an adjacent area will serve as a link to the spaces assigned to the third sector, located on the second floor.
The existing staircase will be preserved, enhancing it, eliminating the traces of paint that cover the original decorations, as a valuable element of the building. Together with the elevator compartment will allow access to the upper floors.
The first floor, designed as a single space subdivided only by reinforced partitions, will allow associations to use this space in the most appropriate way to their needs. It is planned, however, already in the design phase to insert a new bathroom usable from the entire floor. From this floor you can access the terrace that will filter with the library, designed for accommodation of an indoor-outdoor structure.
The two apartments, both located on the second floor of the building, will be accessible through the staircase and the elevator compartment that, eliminating the presence of architectural barriers, through a small hallway allow access to the two apartments, Place one in the north-facing area.
All floors will have a suspended ceiling. The suspended ceiling will be used both for the passage of the plant components, and to allow thermal - acoustic insulation, thanks to the use of appropriate materials that comply with the Minimum Environmental Criteria (CAM). While the elevator will stop on the second floor, the staircase will allow access to the attic that will contain the technical rooms and plant terminals of the building.
The roof will be replaced, although its original conformation will be maintained, replacing only part of the wooden elements that compose it and that will contribute to the seismic and energy improvement of the structure. Of the two dormers, currently present in cover only one will be rebuilt and both will keep the same dimensions. Although the existing openings will be maintained, some of them will be closed by means of grates that will allow a constant ventilation of the room. The roof will be demolished and rebuilt in coppi and embryci to adapt to the historical context and stylistic and architectural trends of the area. They will also be placed in the roof of photovoltaic panels, specially chosen from a reddish color, so as not to impact chromatically on the urban landscape, integrating more with the new mantle.
The building in facade will undergo some modifications. On the ground floor and the first floor will be carried out an intervention of plastering with lime, a bugnato will take importance and thickness transforming itself in frame around the windows and doors. The design idea was to repropose the window frame, in correspondence with the south facade of the building, on the terrace on the first floor connecting with the library. In correspondence with the same prospect, a window will be restored, until now buffed, to give more light to the stairwell, recreating the original configuration of the Palace, Thus giving more compositional balance and symmetry to the entire front facing the municipal library.
The upper part of brick facades will be subject exclusively to hydro-cleaning and grouting of the comments, where necessary, to improve its state of conservation.
The project also includes the construction of a filter area between the library building and that of the Bulleri Palace will allow to redevelop and find a new purpose for the terrace of the library, providing a connection both to the prospective Palazzo Bulleri and to the garden behind it. The desire is therefore to create a sustainable reception area, the result of the upgrading of the existing, which encourages the community to live such spaces.
All this will be achieved with the inclusion of an open-closed structure, in relation to climatic conditions and the season, which combined with the insertion of vines and shrubs will not only have the purpose of "filter" between the buildings but also a function of mitigation and sanitation of the air thanks to the contribution of added vegetation.
The solution chosen involves the coating of the facade portion between the municipal library and the Bulleri Palace with a succession of horizontal slats in Corten. The coating fits between the two types of buildings without prevailing or going against the pre-existing ones, providing at the same time a solution that unites and also creates a breathing zone between the two buildings. The horizontal slats have doubled height, compared to the elements of the ashlar thus creating an alignment, unifying Palazzo Bulleri and the facade portion of the library.