Enel Building

When we’re commissioned for the new residential building project in Piacenza, two conditions will be imposed: that of eliminating the existing building and that of offering City Hall the public service of including it in the general building program of this private sector project.

Three distinct proposals were realized interpreting three possible levels of “permeability” with respect to the relation of public and private space: from the compacted “illot” to a fragmented solution inspired by “The Economist” of the Smithsons.

The presence of the Farnese Palace—the unfinished Royal Palace of Dutches in the XVI century, confirms the need to define a building scale that is capable of containing a complex program. The characteristics of homogeneity and bi-dimensionality of the exterior skin of the historic building invite us to reflect on the value of transparency in modern architecture and places in doubt its presumed indisputable qualities. By the same token, given it’s evident celebrated value, the Farnese Palace offers a congenial solution to the marketing interests of our clients, and allows for the interpretation of the “facciata” of the building to be separated from the program it contains, indicating therefore that it more aptly belongs to the street and lanscape of the public space.

Concluding an extensive contractual process with the client, the definitive solution is aligned to the expectations assuming the least commercial risk for the developer and the maximum simplified public program, as a consequence of the difficulties of expediting politically and technically the approval process of the project through City Hall.