Learn, play, rest! Through the project for the refurbishment of the manufacturing ceramic area in Laveno-Mombello we would like to create a series of spaces dedicated to children and teenagers, making them main actors and users of every place. Expected functions are related to the education of children, through different approaches to design the space. These approaches are related to different scopes: a traditional one, with classrooms and laboratories, or a more interactive and innovative one, with playgrounds and leisure areas. Furthermore, the project addresses also other users, in fact, young boys and girls would have a place to enjoy sports, cultural activities, study rooms or just spend their spare time. But also we consider important users all the adults that walk their children to school and that can spend their time in the area, for example in cafes, in the gym or in the outdoor places. Thanks to the variety of activities proposed in the area, the new complex aims to work h24 and 7 days per week.
Some spaces are designed to follow the child’s growth. For instance, the new playground develops in a longitudinal line following the way the child relates to the surrounding environment, while other areas have a more flexible function to enable the interaction among different users and between users and the architectural space. For us is crucial to preserve the majority of the original structure. We maintain not only the Portaluppi directional building, but also the industrial complex behind it. We want to leverage the existing building’s potential enhancing all the features through different types of interventions. We preserve as much as possible of the original grid of pillars: the aim is to allocate in it different kinds of spaces highlighting flexibility and free movement. The grid becomes the case for a set of modules with different activities inside as classrooms, laboratories, an auditorium, canteens, cafes, etc. The remaining area is a free connective tissue without precise and codified function, but that can develop according to different scenarios.
External view of the camping
Rooftop cafe
Restaurant and cafes Soft playground
Gym space
Stands
View of the gym and playground Delivery entrance Camping canteen Camping 200 spaces indoor and outdoor Entrance
School canteen
Auditorium
Sport playground Primary school 6 classrooms + 2 activity rooms
Kindergarten 2 reception classes + 2 activity rooms
Gym
Library
Playgrounds Entrance area
Custodian’s residence
School office Main entrance
Bike workshop
View of the reception classroom
View of the classroom and activity room