Alvisi Kirimoto and Studio Gemma have completed a versatile macroscopic structure integrated into the greenery for the campus of the LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome. The intervention involved the demolition of an existing building and the construction of a new teaching building, with an amphitheater and two classrooms. The building, which covers a total area of 1.500 mXNUMX, is located in the most accessible and suggestive area of the campus, near a small forest to the south of the lot.
The design was conceived to connect the building directly to the treetops, freeing up as much ground floor space as possible. The interior of the building has been carefully designed to host various educational activities and cultural, artistic and social events, from conferences and classroom lessons to gala evenings and film screenings. The amphitheater was designed for multiple uses, and the classrooms were designed to redefine the balance between face-to-face and distance learning, with highly sophisticated audiovisual systems seamlessly integrated into the architecture.
The building's permeable, transparent skin blends into the landscape, reminiscent of a classic tree house. The interiors have been designed to be extremely versatile, with ramped staircases linking the two levels, and a third staircase linking the first floor to the outdoors. The ground floor is set back, emphasizing the lightness of the upper volume and creating an open and covered space equipped for courses and outdoor activities.
The upper floor, clad in natural wood strips and glass, projects the building into the treetops, creating a privileged dialogue between architecture and context and offering a dynamic glimpse of the activities going on inside. The project is inspired by the principles of sustainable design and is made with natural materials, obtaining the prestigious LEED Platinum certification. The suspended acoustic panels that define the ceiling of the amphitheater, in coral red, capture the attention from the outside, while their organic silhouette reinforces the dialogue with the adjacent forest.
The same bright red characterizes the furniture and some elements of the classrooms, giving the whole complex a sense of visual coherence, especially when the building is lit up in the early evening hours. The indissoluble bond of the project with the surrounding greenery suggests an innovative approach to education that promotes learning through the well-being generated by the relationship with nature.
project info
PROJECT NAME: New LUISS school building
STREET ADDRESS: Viale Romania, 32 Rome (Italy)
ARCHITECT: Alvisi Kirimoto and Studio Gemma – Massimo Alvisi, Junko Kirimoto (Alvisi Kirimoto)
Cristiano Gemma (Studio Gemma)
PROJECT TEAM: Alvisi Kirimoto: Vasiliki Maltezaki, Chiara Quadraccia, Daniel Costa Garriga – Studio Gemma: Alessandro Speranza, Federica Vola
CLIENT: Luiss Free International University of Social Studies Guido Carli
UNDERTAKING: ECOFAST Sistema srl
PROJECT AREA: 1.500 mXNUMX (buildings)
COMPLETION: 2022
CONSULTANTS
Facilities: INGE.CO srl
Installations: Planex srl
LEEDs: Habitec Trentino Scarl Technological District
Acoustic consultancy: Eng. Andreas Hoischen
Cost evaluation: Eng. Gianluca Gangemi
PROVIDERS
Lights: iGuzzini
Sessions: LAMB
External wood cladding: Kebony
Facade cladding: Pontius Bond
Stained glass: Roman Pontius Windstop
Packable walls: Oddicini
Internal floors: Tarkett
Inner tents: Serge ferrari
Sound absorbing panels: Acoustic
Sound System: Angry
Lift: Schindler
Bathroom tiling: marazzi
External floors in stabilized gravel: Pietranet
External deck floor: Deco Ultrashield
PHOTOGRAPHER: © Marco Cappelletti
