“The design intention of highlighting the entrance of the building turns out to be a priority need in order to facilitate a not easy identification of the main entrance doorway from the small cross street in which it is located in a decidedly marginal way.
Intervention Renovation of the Faculty of Statistical Sciences.
Location Messina, via traversa Bivona (I)
Architectural design arch. Renato Arrigo www.renatoarrigo.com
Structural design ing. Giovanni Miceli
Construction management arch. Renato Arrigo
Purchaser University of Messina
Contractor Fratelli Grillo (Barcellona P.G.- ME)
RUP ing. Francesco Oteri
Data of the work 4 elevations f.t.
Floor area sq.m. 880
Total renovated surface sq.m. 1650
ground floor 500 sq.m.
first floor 450 sq.m.
second floor 350 sq.m.
third floor 350 sq.m.
Cost of the intervention 1,045,669 euros
Photographs Gabriele Maricchiolo
The goal of immediate visual identification, therefore, is justified by the creation of an entrance portal with giant order on several elevations instantly recognizable right from the main Pietro Castelli Street. This decisive visibility of the entrance is rebalanced with a transparency of the same supporting structure of the entire portal so that the visual impact, while remaining recognizable, is mitigated by the lightness of the entire inclined glass wall that constitutes it.
Reinforcing this aspect of identification of the main entrance was the design choice to empty the corner of the building most adjacent to Pietro Castelli Street with the creation of a circular glass brick wall allowing immediate recognition.
This design choice, in addition to creating legibility of the entire structure, also allowed for better articulation and distinction of the logistical and distributive functions of the various rooms within the building body.
In fact, the transparency legitimizes, with a differentiation, a different and more appropriate use; therefore, the individual rooms intended for simple departmental activities and referred to the various lectureships will have a specific typology both dimensional and lighting technology; the others, illuminated by the large glass brick wall, will be intended mainly for representative and/or executive activities such as hall, presidency, meeting room, and will have a greater representative proportion appropriate to their actual destination.”
