The cantonal institute for economy and trade is renewed

The works to expand and renovate the buildings were carried out while the school was still open and will be completed by the end of the year.

In the context of architecture competitions for school subjects, we are often confronted with projects that prove the architectural development of the post-war period. Sometimes they are interesting objects, others less so, even if the questions that arise are the same.

How do you react to an architecture that is so close to us in times and ways of thinking? This is how you solve energy gaps without distorting your face. What are the best ways to expand the spaces without losing the original concept and features?

These are some of the questions architects Corecco and Canevascini faced in order to solve what they really like about these architectures, what gaps to fill, and what transformations may have cracked the architectural balance.

The buildings and the landscape
The former Bellinzona barracks, designed by architects Jäggli, Brunoni, Beretta-Piccoli and Tallone in the early 1950s and converted into a business school in the 1980s, has various valuable elements that serve as design cornerstones. The most general is found in the high quality landscape of the place where the complex has been carefully inserted and strengthened over time by interventions of absolute value, among which the public bathroom stands out, the great work of architects Aurelio Galfetti, Flora Ruchat, Ivo Trumpy.

A river route, an extensive green area defined by public buildings, the view of medieval Bellinzona and the north-opening landscape of the valley form the background to the surroundings of the institute. Then there is the possibility of strictly assembling the volumes individually, but to be softened by the slight oscillations of the angles that define the concatenation. Finally, the compositional and structural accuracy of the individual parts, the tracing of details or constructive solutions that give the whole thing continuity, even with extremely different volumes. For example, think of the shape of the roof: two partitions that do not touch and form a light cut; Solution adopted and suitable both in the main building and in the outbuildings. This severity is also a facade theme that is repeated with different but similar rhythms along all of the main views.

Here are the answers to the first questions. Intervening in these buildings must be done with respect, defending their volumetric integrity and the appearance of details. Do not destroy the individual parts of the complex to accommodate the new spaces required – even if some of them are of lesser value – and do not transform the open but refined structural aspect of the facades.

These assumptions initially lead to an energetic renovation of Block A, the main building of the complex. It is mainly solved internally thanks to the creation of a system
modular insulated and functional for the passage of the facility and for shelves and cupboards that are useful for classrooms. The thickness of this element corresponds to the need to dissolve the thermal bridge of the building elements of the facade inwards. The part of the window has a new design compared to the original, which corresponds to the need for natural ventilation of the premises according to the new thickness of the profiles.

The project
The three phases of the project, the refurbishment of two existing blocks and the addition of a new building, were carried out while the school remained active and the more than 1,300 students did not have to be evicted. This is a condition set by the competition. The extension, now in the final phase of construction, is a long body lifted off the ground and connected to the main block by the two stairs between the ground floor and the first level. The location clarifies the design of the parking spaces and the service buildings, which are now arranged in a disorderly manner, and ultimately brings the school along the river, no longer as a back, but as a privileged background.
The structural rigor, which is externally emphasized by the blades supporting the panel and the vertical rhythm of the facade elements, is the solution that architecturally connects the new building with the existing one. The fundamental difference is the pronounced horizontal dimension as opposed to the verticality of the elevations of the original complex.

The main level mainly houses 12 classrooms to the west and work, break (for students and teachers) or service rooms to the east. A large multi-purpose room is planned in the north, which will serve as the main meeting room within the entire school complex. Large traffic areas connect the new rooms with dimensions that are suitable for the high number of users.

The renovation and expansion took place in three steps at a total cost of 34.4 million francs: in the first phase the classrooms and the institute (block A) in the second phase the offices and the documentation center (blocks D and P) and the third level with Expansion.
Materials Constructively, the architecture of the extension is resolved by a reinforced concrete structure that is isolated on the outside and supported by upturned pillars at the level of the entrances to the ground floor. The language of the building is resolved in the main elevations with large glass surfaces that look towards the floodplains of the river, while in the top views the cladding reflects what was done for the front elements of the floors in zinc-titanium foil, which in the Color oxidized is dark. The rhythm of the main façades mixes solid glazing with opaque doors that can be opened for ventilation, making the change of interiors with different contents homogeneous and abstract.

Energy standards
The renovation work met the requirements of the Minergie building standards. It was not possible to apply for certification as a single point was not paid for, controlled ventilation. The extension instead has Minergie standards and certifications. ■

Testo: Natascia Valenta / Fonte e Rendering: Canevascini&Corecco architetti