Enzo Nercolini 2013-2021 by Enzo Pittol Nercolini

ENZO NERCOLINI

2013-2021

CASA MORRO DA CRUZ, 2021On the hills around which the city of Florianópolis, in Southern Brazil, developed is a complex system of winding roads, nature and settlements of varying degrees of formality. Like on most hills (or morros) in Brazil, architecture must provide an answer to a few constraints; steep slopes, native vegetation, and water courses offer a significant challenge to the design process, no matter how simple the programme. In deliberate opposition to traditional occupation modes in steep middle-class neighbourhoods, the design avoids going upwards. Instead, the entire programme has been fitted in a single floor with only the garage and guestroom on a semi-buried level. Development is underway and construction is set to begin in 2022. Independent commission, under development Florianópolis, Brazil 2

Site plan

semi-basement floor plan

ground-floor plan

CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS ON FISCHERINSEL, 2020 “The idea of the [theatre] foundation refers especially to the role of Berlin in the development of modern theatre in the twentieth century.” - from the studio brief by Stefan Vieths. Ours was a research on developing a concise programmatic answer for a theatre located at the southeastern tip of Berlin’s Museum Island that proposes a sequence of distinct spatialities which revolve around the theatrical space for (and of) performance. I consider this design an exercise on faciality, incorporation, and the articulation of a light outer shell with a coarse stereotomic form contained within.

M.Arch design studio at Politecnico di Milano with Mario Fondeur (DO) & Edoardo Frontini (IT) Berlin, Germany 6

axonometric view and elevation 7

Ground floor plan

First floor plan

Section model. Styrene and plaster

Visualisation of facade and ceramic elements

plan, section and elevation detail

A DOCUMENTATION CENTER ON THE HISTORY OF FASCISM, 2019 Milan is the birthplace of Fascism. It grew and reached maturity in it, and it was in the same city it would die in 1945. Italy managed to overcome terror and reestablish itself as a modern democracy. Designing a building meant to house such a problematic theme is a tricky endeavour. How can the severity of historical events be contained by architectural language without echoing fascist architecture itself? Our team’s answer has been to articulate the themes of monumentality and public space by stacking the required program on 50% of the site, thus freeing up the other half to the streets and generating a monolithic tower which dialogues with the general history of architecture in Italy. M.Arch. Design studio at Politecnico di Milano with Clémence Allegre (FR) & Lara Ergur (TR) Viale Tunisia 12, Milano 14

site plan 15

Raised ground floor plan

Floor plan of exhiibition space

Section cutting through underground auditorium and exterior stairs

Visualisation of the building as seen from the Chiesa di San Carlo al Lazzaretto

Visualisation of the building in Viale Tunisia

Axonometric drawing of precast facade elements

ISLANDS, INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE URBAN DIMENSION OF THE CEMETERY Abstract From a historico-philosophical reading of graveyards and their development into the modern cemetery form, the thesis investigates the political scope of funerary spaces by articulating concepts of territoriality, politics, and monumentality. The role of architecture as the formalising element of death will be illustrated through paradigmatic examples in history, with fictional or unrealised project for cemeteries offering a glimpse into the potential for cemeteries to operate either as enforcers of societal norms or as transgressors to them. The central portion of this work puts forth a succinct architectural theory for the contemporary large-scale cemetery. Arguments are drawn from a range of urban theories, in particular those of Aldo Rossi in L’architettura della città and of O.M. Ungers in Die Stadt in der Stadt.

The contradictions that arise from such an operation are not wholly denied nor embellished. Instead, a series of exits towards expanded readings of death in the contemporary city are proposed. These ramifications are characterised by the problematisation of death and its spaces outside of traditional architectural theory and towards issues of identity, nationhood, and signification in the age of global migration flows and the dissolution of unitarian identities. With a critical understanding of death and monumentality established, the thesis shifts its attention to one specific cemetery case, Cimitero Maggiore in Milan, and develops a global analysis of it on both urban architectural levels. Accompanying the text are a series of schemes and illustrations by the author which suggest an alternative mode of thinking the cemetery’s future by proposing analogies to the city

and its diverse architectural types. This graphic conclusion posits the possibility of conceiving an architecture for death which fosters open-ended narratives for a society increasingly marked by diversity in faith, norms and identity.

M.Arch final thesis, cum laude under the supervision of Fabrizia Berlingieri Milan, December 2020 23

Morphology of an urban cemetery of monumental proportions

Cimitero Maggiore as an urban island

Border and territory

A system of linear repetition

Maggiore as a collection of urban villas

Taxonomy of cemetery densification

Familistère

Siedlung

Stepwell

Cloister

Cité

Slab

Phalanstère

Pilotis

Sunken plaza

Three elements, two for rituals of different faiths and one for technical facilities, are wrapped by a system of gathering and contemplative spaces opening up to the surrounding open areas.

Axonometric drawing of funerary structure and surrounding fields.

MIDDLE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY CENTRE IN MAURITIUS, 2015 We set out to design a school that doubled as a community center in a context where local values and traditions become increasingly fragile as touristic and industrial investments replace historical and natural heritage. Our goal was to assert the center’s presence with a strong identity while still maintaining a relationship with the cultural landscape around it. The proposal sets the institution apart from the context but still respects traditions related to use and climate. A desire to propose modulations in publicity-domesticity in the town pushed us to disintegrate the perimeter and allow the free flow of people through it.

B. Arch design studio at ENSA Nantes with Clément Godry (FR) Flic-en-Flac, Mauritius 28

General floor plan depicting classroom spaces

Section A

A poutre béton armé 250x300mm B poteau circulaire métallique avec béton coulé d=250mm C faux plafond suspendu D suspente E dalle béton e=200mm F chape ciment e=50mm G revêtement acrylique H chape renforcée pour support et stabilité des briques I maçonneire de briques (100x220x45mm) non structurante e=320mm J menuiseries aluminium battant intérieur, pose tunnel K maçonnerie de briques ajourée e=100mm L cloison intérieure en maçonnerie de briques M studiobox N structure bois avec étanchéité membrane d’air et revêtement peint O réservoir d’eau P plafond suspendu e=100mm Q charnières pour panneaux R panneaux amovibles en polycarbonate translucide l=200mm S garde-corps métallique h=900mm T descente d’eau pluviale d=100mm U suspente plafond des studios V capotage métallique pour filtration eau pluviale W dalle béton e=200mm X toiture béton >2% Y membrane d’étanchéité avec retour d’étanchéité Z rupteur de capilarité 32

Section and facade composition

ARTIST HOUSING & EXHIBITION SPACE, 2017 Designed in 1909 as a pioneer experiment on artistic institutions, the Casa degli Artisti in Milan housed artists and exhibitions throughout the 20th century but was abandonned at some point. In this studio we were asked to refurbish the building, respecting its history and proposing a contemporary approach to exhibition spaces and artistic occupation of cultural spaces. Temporary housing, workshops, exhibition rooms, a small cinema, coffee shop and library compose the program which occupies ca. 1700m2 in the heart of Brera district in Milan.

B.Arch. interior design studio at Politecnico di Milano with Efe Özyaba (TR) & Mahboobeh Rezaei (IR) Via Tommaso da Cazzaniga, Milano 34

Axonometric view of the ‘Casa degli Artisti’ with renovations and extensions

View of the café

From bottom to top: ground, first and second floor plans

Section of café, workshops and public terrace

LEGNANO CASTLE CONSERVATION AND RECONVERSION OF TOWER, 2019 Legnano is a small city northwest of Milan with a significant historical role in the Lombardy area. Its castle is the main symbol of such heritage and a place treasured by the population. It has undergone recent renovations but the entrance tower remains in disrepair. The aim of this studio was to propose the conservation project and to propose a new stair structure as part of the reuse project. Our design guideline has been to emphasize the difference between old and new while avoiding any unnecessary interventions in the old structure. If the people were to decide the stair design is no longer suitable, it could be taken out and leave barely any traces. M.Arch. Preservation studio at Politecnico di Milano with Gizem Altan (TR), Leticia Pascual (AR) and Ezgi Türkoğlu (TR). Legnano, Italy. 38

Starting from rectified and color-balanced perspective pictures of the tower we proceeded to examine the four facades of the tower. The next process consists of correctly classifying and indexing the materials found. This action will allow for a systematic decay survey and intervention proposal to be carried out. The intervention phase aims at repairing, avoiding and stabilizing decay processes on the surface of the tower’s facades. It is the concluding step of the process started with the photographic survey and evaluation of materials and decay.

Schematic section of the castle tower with new facilities

CASTELLO DI LEGNANO: CONSERVATION AND REUSE OF THE CASTLE TOWER MATERIAL CARD

B1 CLAY BRICK (TYPE 1) description A handy-sized unit of building or paving material typically being rectangular. Bricks are laid in courses and numerous patterns known as bonds, collectively known as brickwork, and may be laid in various kinds of mortar to hold the bricks together to make a durable structure. location All four facades of the Legnano castle tower are composed of brick masonry, and so are most constructions in the complex.

P1 LIME PLASTER description Lime plasters are the oldest form of plasters. They are manufactured from lime, sand and water. Different aggregates can also be added to obtain certain desirable properties (e.g. to make it softer, harder, water repellent, able to set under water etc.)1 2 location Present as a binding material over bricks punctually on the facade. It is also visible in larger amounts where repairs have been carried out. 1. “Plaster Types – Why Lime?”. Core Conservation. coreconservations.co.uk 2. Scottish Lime Centre Trust. Technical Advice Guide: Introduction to Lime in Traditional Buildings. scotlime.org

ARCHITECTURAL PRESERVATION STUDIO 2019/1 GROUP: GIZEM ALTAN, ENZO NERCOLINI, LETICIA PASCUAL & EZGI TÜRKOĞLU

B2 CLAY BRICK (TYPE 2) description Similar to B1 clay brick in composition, type 2 differs as being of more recent fabrication. Tipically employed in repair works and distinguishable by generally looking brighter and less eroded. location All four facades contain areas of more recent brickwork: beneath window sills, on arches and close to old, unexisting structures that were once connected to the tower.

P2 CEMENT PLASTER

T1 CLAY TILES description Designed mainly to keep out rain, and are traditionally made from locally available materials such as terracotta, a clay-based material. location Used on the roof and on specific protruding elements on the facade as a rainwater diversion component.

P3 LIME MORTAR

description A mortar consisting of portland cement, sand, and water generally used for plastering interior surfaces of a building.3 Characteriscally darker than lime cement, presenting more gray tones.

description Manufactured from lime, sand and water. Different aggregates can also be added to obtain certain desirable properties (e.g. to make it softer, harder, water repellent, able to set under water etc.)

location Sporadic use throughout the facade as a binding surface, indicating repairs.

location Present as a binding material between bricks in virtually the entire structure. It is also visible in larger amounts where repairs have been carried out. Only highlighted in the second case.

3. Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition.

A CHIMNEY, A MEDUSA HEAD, AND A PILASTER, 2017 Construction for Fondazione Prada was coming to an end and the scaffolding had been taken off the concrete tower. It was now time to pay close attention to the spaces inside it. The 4-person team I was a part of focused its attention on the restaurant level, sitting between exhibition floors. Three Lucio Fontana ceramic pieces - cherished acquisitions by the client - were to be displayed in the restaurant as markers of the spatial sequence. A chimney, a Medusa head and a pilaster.

OMA Milan satellite office. with Federico Pompignoli (IT), Matteo Budel (IT) & Michele Zambetti (IT) Milan, Italy 40

Scheme of L. Fontana’s artworks and program sequence

Floor plan of Ristorante Torre

OPENFIELD, 2020 The competition entry developed by a group of five architects focuses on proposing a wide range of housing modes surrounded by productive gardens and public spaces. Adaptability of floor plans and the diversification of tenancy composition were strategies employed in order to tackle the socio-economic issues of current development trends in the Milanese periphery and its inaccessible character. Productive gardens, social and leisure spaces surround the buildings and propose a new civic epicenter for the area of Rogoredo.

Casatibuonsante architects with Federico Casati (IT), Antonio Buonsante (IT), Delphine Roque (FR) & Clémence Allegre (FR) Milan, Italy 42

Floor plan of first typology

developed with casatibuonsante architects 43

Floor plan of second building typology and of row-house types.

Interior view of apartment with rooms in enfilade

Interior view of a row-house unit facing the rail yard park

developed with casatibuonsante architects 45

KAWAMURA LAW OFFICE, 2016 The brief was a relatively small office space meant to accommodate a comfortable waiting room, a meeting room, a common work area with a kitchen, and still comfortably sit three associates, each in their own separate room. The formal answer proposes the dissolution of the room’s limits through the creation of a curved corridor leading from the entrance to the meeting room. By masking the edges of what is by all means a very traditional rental space in an office building, the design circumvents the aesthetics of standardised real estate and allows for a more poetic experience of [corporate] space.

private comission, executed, 50m2 Florianópolis, Brazil 46

FOUR PLANES AND SOME SAND MAKE FOR A CINEMA, 2018 The proposal originates from the simple premise that what makes the experience of being on the beach unique is the inevitability of having sand all around you. Letting sand take over the structure and partially conceal it brings in a double reading of the object as gathering place and forgotten totem.

3rd prize in the CYSOA Beach Cinema competition with Mathew Dueck (CA) Geroskipou, Cyprus 47