In the proximity of the Villa Ada Park, in the heart of Rome, Alvisi Kirimoto and Studio Gemma designed a new hub for the LUISS Guido Carli University Campus.
Global Design & Architecture Design Awards 2023
First Award | Cultural (Built)
Project Name: The Dome
Category: Cultural (Built)
Studio Name: Alvisi Kirimoto + Partners and Studio Gemma Progettazione
Design Team: Alvisi Kirimoto – Massimo Alvisi, Junko Kirimoto, Vasiliki Maltezaki, Chiara Quadraccia, Daniel Costa Garriga
Studio Gemma – Cristiano Gemma, Alessandro Speranza, Federica Viola
Area: 1500sq.m.
Year: 2022
Location: Rome
Consultants: INGE.CO srl (Structures), Planex srl(MEP), Habitech Distretto Tecnologico Trentino S.c.a r.l. (LEED), Andreas Hoischen (Acoustic Design).
Photography Credits: Marco Cappelletti
Render Credits: Alvisi Kirimoto
Other Credits: Client – LUISS Guido Carli University Campus / Contructor – Ecofast Sistema srl
The project stems from the idea of a raised volume in direct connection with the treetops of the campus. Developed in two levels the ground floor houses the entrance, a classroom, and service areas, while the upper floor the big amphitheater and two classrooms.
Surrounded by greenery the building seems to dissolve into the landscape, resonating the classic tree house, from which it borrows its outline. Cladded in natural wood slats and glass, the upper floor is being projected into the treetops, creating a privileged dialogue between architecture and context.
A pair of scissor stairs connects the two levels internally via a double-height space, while a third staircase connects the first floor directly to the outside. Visibly set back, the ground floor accentuates the lightness of the upper volume, creating an open-air space, equipped for courses and outdoor activities.
The inextricable link between the structure and the surrounding greenery signals an innovative approach to education which focuses on the well-being of its users generated by the relationship with nature. The high permeability of the building skin not only facilitates immersion into the landscape and fosters exchange among the entire student community, but is also a conceptual choice that reflects the openness of the campus.
The colors, textures and materials of the project were chosen with the same sensitivity: the shades of all finishes mix with the warm nuance of the wood, in a balanced game of highlights and contrasts.
The suspended acoustic panels of the amphitheater, with their vivid coral red color, capture the attention from the outside, while their organic silhouettes reinforce the dialogue with the adjacent grove.
External spaces are particularly important for university life; therefore, we focused our attention on a detailed landscape design. All exterior spaces are paved with permeable stabilized gravel, while a path in deck, protected by the shadow of a holm tree line, connects the area of the grove in the south with the more frequented area of the Piazza. All outdoor spaces have been equipped with urban furniture and organized in zones to facilitate informal meetings, studying and lounge, offering its users infinite possibilities.
From its concept, the project sought to integrate the sustainability guidelines into its vocabulary with the objective of minimizing its environmental footprint and in 2022 has obtained a Platinum LEED Certification.
Projected out of the greenery and over the Piazza like an enormous telescope the project by Alvisi Kirimoto and Studio Gemma becomes the new focal point of life on the University Campus.
