In the workshop there was a woodturner’s shop, in which numerous wood products for the whole city were produced. Frames, railing rods, candlesticks, billiard sticks, but also drum mallets and ratchets for the Basel carnival. From the pool of many rods, some are selected to serve as a formwork for a unique pouring stone. The load of the entire roof is transferred with a central support, which, however, eludes static logic. In the most unfavorable form imaginable, the ring, rolled from steel, makes a plea for design beyond reason and enlightened striving for utility. Dissolved and covered with glittering lacquer like a jewel, this supporting figure, as the only visible static element, tells not of carrying and burdens, but of light and cheerfulness.

Text provided by the architect.

‘Threshold and Treasure’ aims to pay tribute to the work of Mats Bergquist. It is precisely in the space of the threshold that the meaning of the entire project unfolds: thus, the entrance becomes both work of art and urban system. It is a matter of volume: one can caress its concave shape, can experience it, and can perceive its thickness from the seat created inside, as in a frame that reminds of Edward Hopper’s representations. And again, it is meant to be crossed in order to reach the first “secret” garden and enter in a whole different dimension, by leaving behind the chaos caused by the surrounding urban context: an essential, oneiric peace which has been sought for one purpose only, to host art.

The path is designed with the aim of gently leading the visitor inside the exhibition area from the furthest side: the place unveils itself gradually, following a closed sequence of crossings, one threshold at a time. At this point, the itinerary reaches the so-called ‘black threshold’, which is a place defined by a twentieth century addition consisting of a frame in reinforced concrete, whose presence is here underlined by an ‘absolute black’ coating. This expedient focuses on the visual perception of the viewer, making the eye attentive to the layers and, at the same time, appeasing it, thanks to a background suitable for experiencing art pieces in an inevitable dialogue with the existing building. Precisely by the visible original wall, the presence of a third threshold can be perceived: the memory of what used to be a typography and, before that, a barn, leads to the discovery of a whole different spatiality, which is authentic since it has been freed from the additions of time. Here, in the background, is located a discrete volume of visible reinforced concrete which encloses restrooms, and captures light thanks to the contrast with the wooden slab. The longitudinal development of the great hall entirely opens up revealing an additional threshold: a glass and steel cage which expands the space unveiling the internal court, almost as if it was a treasure. It reminds of a Japanese garden, scattered with sculptures by Mattia Bosco, and it provides a privileged viewpoint, and also a moment of rest.

By going back to the glass volume of the entrance, it is possible to distinguish the stair leading to the upper floor. This presence reveals a design operation that made possible the “detachment” of the Liberty building – which now hosts the artists’ temporary residence – from the Twentieth century addition. In that specific position the stair becomes a key element to the re-organization of the syntax of the multitude of stratifications, showing the passage of time. The separation of elements (the villa and the warehouse) is a necessary break: the unpolished façade conveys the power of this break, which is then mitigated by the connection provided by the new stair. The stair and the beam in reinforced concrete generate an additional mechanism, a three-dimensional threshold, the sixth one, which leads to another treasure, the garden. This green space proves to be a sort of “panopticon” from which, among trees, it is possible to lay eyes on a typical Venetian historic centre. This point of attraction consists of a questionably complex blending of styles and colours which, overall, determine a contemporary tapestry, a setting which is itself a work of spontaneous art, defined by the alternation of architectures without architects (as Bernard Rudofsky would say) which contributes to the memory and tradition of the place and, for this reason, should be interpreted with pride.

One more threshold needs to be crossed in order to enter the atelier: a large sliding door in natural steel reveals a further pivoting window which, finally, gives access to a pure space. The concrete volume, visible on the external side, is characterized on the inside by a continuous white surface which stands out on a wooden floor recovered from a kindergarten in Borneo, enriched by kids’ carvings which bring back to the domestic dimension of the entire building. The covering, with regards to geometry and materials, brings together the architectural elements of the rural Venetian tradition and the typical features found in industrial buildings. The volume hosts a place dedicated to the artists exhibiting in the permanent collection, a space that, per se, reflects the poetic of the curator, Elena dal Molin, a contemporary patron who finds in experience, in sharing and in aesthetic research the fundamentals of her own activity: the perfect client for an architect.

From here, once again, it is possible to capture the intention to perpetuate a constant connection with the landscape, thanks to the ten-meter-long opening, defined by sliding window frames. The art projects itself toward the outside. And it’s where time stops.

While tracing back the itinerary, the ‘panopticon’ captures the visitor and, through a 360° rotation, one can see the impressive artisanal gutter which collects water and drains it towards the garden. Once again, on the ground floor, one can rediscover the garden and its twisty path: also the exit is a discovery. At this point, there are some more details that can be perceived, such as the bench inviting the visitor to stay for a little longer and think about their experience, before meeting again the quintessential mechanism, ‘Threshold and Treasure’, and leaving that peculiar ancestral dimension, which has been staged by the project thanks to the cooperation of art, memory and place.

Through the threshold, a space unveils, where a multitude of forces, guided by imagination, emotions and freely experienced matter, concentrate in a fact of preserved culture which projects itself towards the only possible measure: the infinite.

Text provided by the architect.

A Tree-Lined Square – Another challenge of the project is making the square a green oasis capable of implementing and realizing specific ecosystem benefits. The project holds that the most effective and economical measure to improve climate comfort conditions is the introduction of trees and extraordinary ecosystem tools to intervene against the urban heat island, water run-off, and air pollution. The entire project, therefore, takes place in implementing the essential idea of ​​a tree-lined square, in which the trees become the great protagonists of the public space, with their foliage, their shade, and their architecture, transforming the square into a green oasis.

The Trees – It is the liquid shade of the Plane tree (Platanus Platanor® ‘Vallis Clausa’) that was identified as the essential ingredient to structure the square as a green oasis. The Plane tree is an imposing tree, of the first magnitude, with a rounded and expanded shape, and is rather fast growing. It is a species that adapts to all terrains, prefers a position in full light and tolerates heat and drought, which also guarantees high absorption of CO2 (>2000kg CO2 in 30 years), high absorption of gaseous pollutants (O3, NO2, SO2) and high PM10 capturing capacity. In the layout scheme of the new trees, in the search for uniformly distributed shade, the identification of green islands is proposed of densely vegetated points, structured through the articulation of several trees placed side by side and intended to contribute – a typical characteristic of the Plane tree – to a “single crown” effect.

The Ground – The presence of underground utilities, foundations of ancient buildings and archaeological remains makes it necessary to plant trees at higher levels than the current walking surface, in order to reduce the depth of the excavations as much as possible. Thus, to make room for the new trees, the continuous stone ground of the square is rippled, acquiring three-dimensionality and determining the formation of specific atolls available to plant communities. The green islands are truncated cones, which emerge from the ground in material continuity with it, of variable diameter and a maximum height of one metre above the walking surface, with a section that softly connects to the level of the square, accompanying and containing the development of the root system of the trees.

The laying of the porphyry cubes also follows the specific topography created: setting a rich geometric design of concentric circles. The choice of porphyry, in addition to setting an evident material continuity with the main historic urban spaces of the city, is also motivated by the possibility of making the sealing of the joints drainable and, therefore, the paving itself.

The Underground – The project goes deeper than the pavement and the bedding layers, imagining an equally crucial “underground square”, which defines a highly innovative underground space that transforms rainwater from a potential problem to a precious resource. The project in fact includes the insertion of a rainwater collection layer, Permavoid System: which, like a sort of large sponge, collects and conserves rainwater, to return it, through natural capillary mechanisms activated by the roots – passive capillary irrigation – to the soil where the trees are planted, without using energy, pumps or valves. With this system it is possible to collect rainwater, avoiding an overload of the sewer system in the event of intense weather events, and to conserve it so that it can be used in prolonged periods of drought.

Text provided by the architect.

2.Light as material
The north façade is buried by the unevenness of Calle Mayor, the ground floor was uninhabitable, without natural light or direct contact with the orchard on the south face.
The first intention of the project was to introduce this natural light that was lacking without disturbing the historic stone facades too much. It seemed to us that the best way to do this was through five skylights that cross the intermediate floors to the common areas on the ground floor. These skylights open onto two large atriums from where parallel stairs run; the original stone and a new steel and concrete one of the same width. This allows configuring a sequence of spaces on different levels, illuminated from above and framed by stone and concrete arches.

3.Dualities
The next intention was to form a project based on structural, material and spatial systems similar to the ruin that we had found, to generate that continuity with the pre-existing but clearly marking the subsequent interventions. The new elements that do not contain analogies with the originals are treated as light pieces of steel and wood, with systems that combine traction and compression as structural balance games. The constructive solutions have been raised following the maxim of Adolf Loos of the architect as a mason who knows Latin, in a constant dialogue with the workers of the region.

Text provided by the architect.

Order transforms this background into design weaving a deep connection with the city, its history and its layers. The real challenge is to preserve the essence of that idea during the entire process, from the first sketch to the detailed constructive drawings and finally during the construction on site (the final outcome).

The reciprocity that binds AMAA and the client is fundamental, as already demonstrated by illustrious collaborations such as, for example, the relationship between Carlo Scarpa and Adriano Olivetti. Sharing values has effectively laid the foundations for the realization of the work, as a complete expression of the architectural research of the Studio. The client, in this case, not only states the needs or his will, puts energy and makes resources available, but above all he works with the designer accepting the various aspirations.

The result is a two-storey box that hosts the new AMAA branch office inside a former vaulted factory. Everything appears for what it is: the thin steel frame structure, the concrete and metal slab, the path of the electrical system with its pipes, plugs and switches, the metal frame of the windows.

Text provided by the architect.

On the inside, structural consolidation work was carried out: in the basement, new walls were built and a new reinforced concrete slab (10 cm thick) was cast inside the original masonry; on the upper floors, the existing slab was replaced with a new one in reinforced concrete and metal beams, the surface of which was sown with porphyry aggregates from Cuasso al Monte and limestone from Moltrasio (Sasso di Caprino) and then smoothed.

The back wall of the original building was removed to gain space for the construction of the exposed concrete staircase, thus adding more rock surface to the interior of the building. Two new reinforced concrete walls and a new reinforced concrete slab were then built, which in addition to covering the new connection further consolidated the original building by connecting it entirely to the rock behind.

In the basement a bathroom was introduced which is separated from the corridor by a 3.5 cm thick curved concrete wall, on the upper floor the door connecting to the outside was changed into a window facing south and the existing roof was replaced. Everything else was left in its existing state or restored.

Externally, the façade of the building, which was also damaged, was restored, bringing back the original pictorial decorations and a new terrace was added to the existing one. The surface of both terraces was paved with re-used stones (Porfido di Cuasso al Monte, Sasso di Caprino, granite slabs and strips of white marble obtained from the re-use of ancient slabs with the names of the streets of the city of Lugano).

The original parapets have been maintained and modified to comply with the law; the new ones, also internally, are in rough oxidised iron.

Text provided by the architect.

Together with the building, the surrounding garden has also been redesigned and is now an integral part of the house. The focal element of the garden and the house is a magnolia tree, preserved upon the clients’ request. Bordered by a square black flowerbed, in contrast to the stone flooring on which the pool is set, the tree is the protagonist of the outdoor space and perfectly dialogues with the house: the shadow of its foliage is projected at sunset on the stone façade and is visible from all rooms. The plaster has been detached on the façades, so as to bring the river pebbles into view which form the structure’s load-bearing walls.

On the front towards the garden, a large arch has been reopened as a reminder of the site’s historical agricultural function, making it the fulcrum around which the spaces of the house are distributed. A large rear door frames the masonry arch, becoming a threshold and an element of dialogue between the interior space and the garden. The front facing the courtyard is characterized by a glass façade with wooden uprights that recalls, in a contemporary way, the wooden walls typical of barns found in local rural courts.

The materials of the façades are traditional and typical of rural architecture around Verona: on the façade, river pebbles are grafted on modern frames in Biancone, local stone from Lessinia and the monolithic elements that house the larch windows.

The house is set out across three floors and all levels engage with the space at the full height of the living room. The ground floor, distinguished by a Vicenza stone pavement, welcomes guests into a large living area and a library with brick fireplace; the upper floors, perceived as a wooden volume hanging from the ceiling, contain the bedrooms. The birch plywood cladding designs and defines the interior space, marking a clear distinction between the different sections of the home.

Text provided by the architect.