Carmen Andriani – Congress Hall of the University Campus of Chieti

PROJECT: Carmen Andriani – Congress Hall of the University Campus of Chieti

LOCATION: Chieti

YEAR: 2011

ARCHITECT / FIRM: Carmen Andriani

BUYER: VILLAGGIO MEDITERRANEO spa

SURFACE: 13.795 sqm

PRICE: € 6.500.000

DESCRIPTION:
The area of intervention is part of the linear infrastructural system of the coast Adriatic in contiguity with the University Campus "Gabriele D'Annunzio". The context has the character of a suburban place proper to the recently spread Adriatic city. The congress hall project is an addition to the University Campus and provides for the redevelopment of a larger area, destined to become a new territorial centrality. The occasion is given by the forecast of construction of the Mediterranean Games Village in 2009, a facility that will host the athletes in view of the 2009 sporting events in the nearby city of Pescara, directly overlooking the Adriatic coast. Located in proximity to the University Campus of Chieti, the Congress Hall is strategically positioned in suburban area. Towards the north a jump of about 10 meters and a panoramic view seems capable of giving back the nature of the place: a suggestive valley is crossed by a motorway viaduct ; towards the south the Congress Hall is an important public space in continuity of the pre-existing main building of the Provost in the University Campus the new congress hall is conceived as a monolith embedded in the ground. Tectonics (or belonging to the ground) rather than architecture, simplification of industrial materials, both for interior finishes and for external arrangements, they put this 'no- building' in continuity with it public space, altogether varying the altimetry through a new modeling of the soil.

DESCRIPTION:
The project of the Congress Hall of the University Campus of Chieti starts in 2006. The occasion is given by the XVI Mediterranean Games of 2009. The Congress Hall includes an auditorium for 900 seats, two large foyers and two main entrances positioned at different levels: the first for the University and the second , in opposite front, for the City. The ambition of the client is to transform this complex into a cultural center for the territory, after the Olympic games for which it is planned. The large area includes a public space outside, a square/bridge towards the campus, services at the congress hall, parking lots and the maintenance of olive trees already present in the agricultural area.

DESCRIPTION:
The Client of Villaggio Mediterraneo Congress Room is the 'Villaggio Mediterraneo Group" spa. The project team (coordinated by Carmen Andriani) includes all the specialistic aspects : Structures (Marzullo, srl), Thermofluidic and electrical plan (TiFS engineering), Fire Prevention (PROGER Spa) , Design Team (Paparelli, Scocco, Vazzana, Caracini, Finarelli).

- SURFACE present EXTENSION,

PREVALENT REPLACEMENT / DISCONTINUITY: The overall dimensions are about three times the pre- existing surface.

- VOLUME present EXTENSION,

PREVALENT REPLACEMENT / DISCONTINUITY: The overall dimensions are about three times the pre- existing volume.

DESCRIPTION:
The congress hall is conceived as a monolith embedded in the ground. The coverage of the main Hall is a sloping plan growing from the soil, as a external cavea. The project of the soil has been verified by numerous models and sections. The congress hall involves a tettonic rather than architectural conception. The project of the larger area changes the original altimetry according to different public uses : to stay, to seat, to walk, to meet, to expose, to partecipate to public event, etc. Variations of public space. The architecture becomes landscape by transforming it.

DESCRIPTION:
Towards the north a jump of about 10 meters creates two different entrances. The first is above, in superior 'piazza', accessible from the University Campus, the second main entrance is at inferior level, from the city, where are located the parking. The soil is a new geography. The ramp of the main entrance goes down the foyer. The internal view of the congress hall for 900 seats. The materials and technologies used are the same used for the industrial factory.

DESCRIPTION:
Towards the north a jump of about 10 meters creates two different entrances. The first is above, in superior 'piazza', accessible from the University Campus, the second main entrance is at inferior level, from the city, where are located the parking. The congress hall is conceived as a monolith embedded in the ground. The coverage of the main Hall is a sloping plan growing from the soil, as a external cavea. The external volume is completely covered in modular thin stone panels. The interior design is characterized by industrial materials and technologies.

DESCRIPTION:
The design choices are important for the maximum simplification of the choice of the material for the internal finishing of the work (all industrial uses) up to the external recovery conceived in modular panels of thin stone for the external envelope of the monolith. Modular panels of ‘thin stone’ ‘wholly wrap’ the monolith also replacing some internal parts. Interior treatment, strongly characterized by an important structure and a considerable one quantity of plants, should foresee the use of industrial materials, sheets ironed for the room, resins and cement treated for the connection spaces, exposed systems, metal grids and walkways for maintenance, cabin directed as a suspended and semitransparent volume on the back of the room. The position, transversal to the two main access roads, of which one upstream pre-existing and the one downstream of the project, make two possible accesses, an upper one, in natural contact with the university campus and with a large public pedestrian area, the other lower, reachable by car, with availability of appurtenant parking lots and therefore more evidently public. The height difference of about 8.00 m between the two accesses is passed through an articulated system of ramps, creases or retaining walls of the premises technicians, which in this way accentuate the sense of spatial continuity between heterogeneous urban landscape materials.

DESCRIPTION:
In the general view from Via dei Vestini, historical route of Abruzzo. The project include: the excavation of the historic Via di Vestini; the construction of the pedestrian overpass that connects the university campus to the congress hall as a bridge. The project preserves the agricultural character of the suburban area, models its altimetry and preserves numerous pre-existing olive trees The existing road becomes one of the two main entrances, in contact with the university campus and defines an important and enlarged pedestrian area; downstream, a new road leads to a second access and to a parking lot: this area presents urban features, in sense of accessibility for the city.