Ex Ducati by Mario Cucinella Architects, Rimini, Italy
March 29th, 2009 - Posted in Architecture Design
The project involved redeveloping a site and constructing a new building for commercial units and offices on the south side of Rimini at the intersection between via Flaminia and viale della Repubblica.
The ground floor of the building is designed to accommodate commercial units while the three upper stories are intended for office space; the building also features an attic floor, a basement floor, and a ground-level car park. The building has an “L” shaped layout, facing onto a major road junction, with the entrance set at the point at which the two axes meet. The entrance is distinguished by a deep fracture – in front of the road intersection – that captures attention against the sheer surface of the façades. The façades describe a 90° arc with the street side clad with a planted green skin in such a way as to create a compact urban frontage. The rear facade of the building is finished with wooden cladding elements. The envelope is formed of a 60 x 60 cm matrix stainless steel grid secured to the structure of cantilevered galleries that provide access to the offices. The steel grid forms a supporting structure for climbing plants (Star Jasmine), creating the appearance of vertical hanging gardens, reminiscent of a ivy covered buildings.
At the rear of the building the two faces looking inwards over the plot form an angle of around 90° offering a secluded space for gardens or a covered piazza.
