The aim of the project was to recover the function of this cultural asset through a reinterpretation of the dual identity which is its distinctive characteristic: a church and a fort.

Standing as the basis of the planning process, this dual identity is explained to visitors by means of an illustrative itinerary going as far as the roof, which provides a view of the Ligurian Sea and the system of coastal fortifications of which the fort is a part.

Image courtesy LDA Studio | Photo by Andrea Bosio

This is a possibly unique specimen of a place of worship (dating back to the mid-12th century) converted into a fort as a defence against the second wave of barbarian invasions in western Liguria in the mid-16th century.

The church was well suited to its new role. Its hilltop location gave it a good view of the sea and it stood with high, solidly-built walls at the entrance to the village. The conversion work entailed the closure of the side entrance, the replacement of the original roof with a vault supporting a fortified terrace with embrasures in the high walls, the opening of embrasures above the main door and on the north side and the construction of two corner turrets on the roof.

Image courtesy LDA Studio | Photo by Andrea Bosio

The building comprises a single nave with a semi-circular apse illuminated by three single-lancet windows whose round arches were cut from a single slab of stone. The outside walls are made from local stone, perfectly dressed and partly plastered, and the apse and facade are embellished by finely-sculpted decorative features.

A careful study of the close and complex relations between the building materials, construction techniques, master stonecutters and the history of the village and the monument was essential for an understanding of how it was built and converted and which of its parts should be enhanced in order to increase its interest as a tourist attraction.

Image courtesy LDA Studio | Photo by Andrea Bosio

The building was subjected to a painstaking study by means of a detailed metric survey, laboratory analysis of its principal materials and degree of degradation, and identification of the forms of decay common to its various parts. This led to an understanding of the various problems that would have to be faced in the work of restoration and above all of the range of coordinated treatments to which the building would have to be subjected.

In specific terms this entailed investigation of the various types of stonework in the building’s walls, the plasters used in construction and in subsequent phases, the forms and degree of degradation of the flooring, the state of conservation of the roof of the main vault and the apse, the solidity or degradation of elements built in wood and iron, and the composition and construction of the architectural features embellishing the form of the church.

Image courtesy LDA Studio | Photo by Andrea Bosio

Image courtesy LDA Studio | Photo by Andrea Bosio

The in-depth investigation of the complex set of relations between materials, building techniques and degradation was thus an essential step for the subsequent planning and execution of the restoration project.

Begun in September 2006 and completed in July 2010, the restoration work involved about 35 people. In addition to the design, planning and management staff, they comprised construction workers, restorers, archaeologists, carpenters, locksmiths, electricians, plumbers, tinsmiths, stonecutters, glaziers, gardeners, model-makers and installation workers. A total of nine companies were employed on the site to produce the finished project as it may be seen today.

Work on the site was not only the time for the testing and implementation of the executive project, it also led to discoveries regarding the building’s history and the materials, some hidden, which had been used in its construction.

Image courtesy LDA Studio | Photo by Andrea Bosio

It necessitated continual and repeated revision and updating of the original plans. Only through direct contact with the building itself and thorough familiarity with the materials – some buried – used in it was it possible to reformulate the plans and pursue a properly coordinated restoration work.

The principal elements of the restoration work were the following:

1. consolidation of the foundations, walls and roofing vaults;
2. restoration of the flooring, plasterwork and architectural features;
3. restoration of doors, windows and decorative features;
4. restoration of the roofs of the apse and the 18th-century bell tower.

Image courtesy LDA Studio | Photo by Andrea Bosio

The most substantial intervention work was the reconstruction of the roofing covering several parts of the building, made necessary by the degree of degradation resulting from a complete lack of maintenance.

The re-roofing of the main barrel vault and the demolition of its incongruous wood and marseillaise tile covering entailed the removal of about 80 cubic metres of various types of materials which had accumulated above the vault (the vault support was obviously not removed). This had probably occurred after the demolition of the defensive roof terrace (built at the level of the terracotta drains still visible on the facade) in order to construct the two slopes needed for a pitched roof.

Image courtesy LDA Studio | Photo by Andrea Bosio

The 16th-century fortified roof terrace was actually the reason for substantial leaking of water inside the church – the drainage of water down the facade was perennially blocked by the terrace’s high defensive walls.

The cleaning and consolidation of the upper interstices of the vault with the injection of mortar-and-resin grout was followed by the installation of a small reinforced concrete cap of thickness between 6 and 12 centimetres. Made of natural hydraulic cement composite NHL5, the cap was fixed to the vault with steel hooks and above it was installed a new covering in Rheinzink (zinc-titanium).

The restoration of the apse roof required the consolidation of the vaulted structure, severely compromised by the subsidence of the foundations underneath the apse. This was accomplished by the insertion of reinforced concrete underpinning units. The roof was then re-covered with tiles of locally-produced slate of various shapes and sizes.

Image courtesy LDA Studio | Photo by Andrea Bosio

Image courtesy LDA Studio | Photo by Andrea Bosio

The restoration of the interior and exterior plasterwork was made complex by the various types of wall-covering identified and their differing degrees of disrepair. Fourteen mineralogical-petrographic and fabric analyses carried out with a reflecting optical microscope and three infra-red spectrophotometric analyses made it possible to determine that the materials used for mortars and plasterwork were of local origin and were bonded with a mixture of lime and marine (or river) sand or sand from local pliocene marine deposits. The few areas of coloured plasterwork (in the apse) subjected to restoration were found to have been pigmented with cadmium red-orange, red-orange with iron trioxide and green earth.

The restoration of the floor paving was one of the most demanding phases of the entire operation. The abysmal condition of the flooring was due mainly to complete neglect and lack of maintenance, leading to cracks and fragmentations in the paving stones still visible today. In the apse and the entrance some sections of flooring had been removed and replaced by concrete covered with green carpeting.

The first priority was the conservation of the original flooring, despite its serious degradation. In areas where it was completely compromised, the paving stones were numbered, surveyed, photographed, carefully lifted and then replaced in their original positions after a proper base had been laid using cement and an electro-welded grid.
The areas affected by archaeological excavations or where there was no proper flooring at all were resurfaced with grey sandstone slabs from the Verezzo quarry near Sanremo.

Besides the specific conservation work involved, the intervention at the site has tried to introduce removable innovative features to go alongside the original structure.
These new parts were required to recover the monument’s functional utility, providing it with the technological equipment needed for its re-use in the following ways:

• first of all to disseminate awareness of the monument and the history of the fortifications on this stretch of coastline;
• for conferences;
• for music seminars;
• for exhibitions;
• for civic functions.

The church and the fort are inextricably bound together, and neither prevails over the other. One of the aims of the projects was therefore to highlight the value of the fort, especially in the light of its role as part of the system of defences (towers, tower-houses, etc.) built during the wars of the 16th century. This was also a primary consideration in the enhancement of the site’s tourist value.
In line with this policy, widening a narrow access to the roof constructed in the past by demolishing a part of the barrel vault (underneath what later became the bell tower), a small weathering-steel staircase was installed. Fixed to the vault and hooked to the walls to reduce the effect of vibration, this fully-bolted staircase provides access to the embrasures and turrets on the roof used by sentries on guard duty in wartime.

The important new elements introduced by the project are the following:

1. reopening of the side entrance;
2. construction of ground-level elevated flooring, able to be dismantled and reinstalled as required by the use to which the monument is to be put;
3. construction of the rheinzink roof, above which is a walkway connecting the lookout turrets;
4. construction of a vertical access route.

New side entrance

Reopening the church’s side entrance, walled up in the 16th century, was one of the first operations to be carried out on the site. As well as providing access to the building from Piazza San Pietro, the operation made it possible to conserve and protect the main door, which had deteriorated as a result of long-term wear and tear.
Reproducing the size and surface appearance of the dressed stones surrounding it, when the building is closed the new side door becomes indistinguishable from the walls, fully re-evoking the 16th-century fortress.

New flooring

To accommodate the building’s new functions, elevated wood flooring was installed with weathering-steel supports, leaving space beneath the floor for wiring and other technological systems.

The new flooring was dictated by the need to install wiring and other technological systems out of sight without demolishing the existing flooring and to connect the various levels which were used during the various phases of the church’s construction.
The new fixed flooring is completely detached from the walls and the original flooring.

Two large central areas are left free with the original stone paving. For public events they are covered over with a mobile wood flooring supported by a steel and aluminium structure composed of modular platforms resting on adjustable feet.

New roof

In a re-evocation of the history of the roof terrace, the upper part of the vault roof was rebuilt and consolidated with NHL2 lime. Entirely covered with wooden planking and waterproofing and insulating materials, it was surfaced with rheinzink sheets. On the northern and southern sides, the ones probably used for defence and controlling the entrances to the village, a walkway was installed to provide access to the lookout turrets and a view of a long stretch of the Ligurian coast.
All the walkways are narrow, allowing a limited number of visitors to enjoy the panorama from the roof and the silence of the small village immersed in the olive groves of western Liguria.

Vertical access route

Access to the roof is provided by two weathering-steel staircases held together by a landing, designated for permanent exhibitions, above the main door of the building.

The stairways are made entirely of bolted steel plates anchored by screws to the stone walls.

+ Project credits / data

Restoration and re-use of the Church-Fortress of San Pietro in Lingueglietta.
Italy – Cipressa (IM)

Design Group Head: LDA Studio – Genoa | http://www.lda-studio.com/

Design Group:
Architect Luca Dolmetta
Architect Aldo Panetta
Engineer Giacomo Saguato
Geologist Giorgio Ligorini

Surveyors:
Architect Luca Dolmetta
Architect Chiara Bertoli
Architect Aldo Panetta
Draughtsman Luca Martini

Companies:
Negro F.lli Costruzioni Generali S.p.a.
ARTES s.r.l.
ExtraVega Milano Carpenteria e Design
IM.EL. Impianti Elettrici
ZP Zunino Pietre s.n.c.
Negro impianti idraulici
L.R.M. Laboratorio di Ricerca Metropolitana

Site Management:
Architect Luca Dolmetta – Director of Works
Architect Aldo Panetta – Securitu
Draughtsman Negro Piergiuseppe
Draughtsman Di Leo Piero
Draughtsman Martino Massino

Customer:
Town Council of Cipressa (IM)
Mayor: Draughtsman Filippo Guasco
Head of Contract Assignment: Draughtsman Giacomo Amerio

Chronology:
2004-06 plan
2007-10 execution

Cost:
Euro 865,580.00

Photography of completed work:
Andrea Bosio

UNStudio‘s design for an Observation Tower for ‘De Onlanden’ presented to Natuurmonumenten.

The strength of Ultra High Performance Concrete is conceptually expressed in the cantilever of the structure, which combines UHPC with steel to enable a substantial protraction in the form of the viewing tower.

Ben van Berkel

Observation Tower for 'De Onlanden', image courtesy UNStudio

On September 22nd the design for an observation tower for the nature reserve 'De Onlanden', situated to the South-West of the City of Groningen, was presented to Natuurmonumenten (the Dutch Society for the Preservation of Natural Heritage) during the mini-symposium 'Experience Nature with innovative concrete' in Peize. The observation tower is the result of a study into the optimal application of Ultra High Performance Concrete by a case study team comprising of UNStudio, ABT, BAM Utiliteitsbouw en Haitsma Beton. Natuurmonumenten received the design as a gift from the case study team.

Observation Tower for 'De Onlanden', image courtesy UNStudio

Case Study Observation Tower Ultra High performance Concrete

The design for the observation tower is the result of a case study which aimed to apply the characteristics of Ultra High Performance Concrete in a functional, operative design. The case study team consisted of designers, engineers and builders who together sought a solution through which architecture and construction could reinforce one another.

According to Ben van Berkel,

The observation tower afforded our Inventive Materials Research Platform the opportunity to investigate the properties of Ultra High Performance Concrete and to truly test out the full potential of this new material in a real structure.

Ultra High performance Concrete differs from normal concrete as it has a very high density, contains steel fibres and has an extremely fine grain structure. These properties facilitate the application of large compressive stresses in structures of narrow dimensions. UNStudio‘s Inventive Materials Platform is one of four in-house research platforms and aims to investigate custom-made material applications and to facilitate inspired and imaginative collaborations with other experts and with manufacturers in the construction industry.

Observation Tower for 'De Onlanden', image courtesy UNStudio

The Observation Tower

The 25 metre high observation tower will be realised on the forested boundary of 'De Onlanden' nature reserve on the outskirts of Groningen. Once built, the tower will extend 5 metres above the trees and will offer views over the 3,000 hectares of natural landscape which form the largest water storage area in the Netherlands.

Observation Tower for 'De Onlanden' - Perspective view, drawing courtesy UNStudio

The design for the observation tower guides visitors in a fluid ascent up the 134 steps to the highest viewing point. Visitors are lead via the first set of steps to the lower viewing platform which stands at a height of 10 metres. Following this, the second set of steps provides a turn in direction, allowing for an alternative view of the surrounding forested pastures. These steps lead visitors through the tree tops to the second viewing platform which stands at a height of 20 metres and offers views over the nature reserve around the city of Groningen. The highest viewing platform, at a height of 24 metres, is reached via the final set of steps and offers visitors a wide open vista of 'De Onlanden' nature reserve.

Observation Tower for 'De Onlanden' - Experience changes with height, drawing courtesy UNStudio

By means of changes in direction in the structure of the observation tower, visitors can experience views of the surrounding natural landscape from different perspectives, whereby the height of each viewing platform offers a different experience of the vistas over the surrounding landscape. From the highest viewing platform views are afforded of the Groningen skyline, which includes the Education Executive Agency & Tax office building which was also designed by UNStudio.

The Netherlands enjoys a rich and textured natural landscape, but unfortunately the Dutch topography is not very varied; we don't have mountain ranges, or many hilly areas from which to enjoy a panoramic overview of our natural surroundings. The viewing tower for 'De Onlanden' was designed to provide the opportunity to create a new awareness and different perspectives of the landscape we move through, but may otherwise never experience in all its scope.

Ben van Berkel

Observation Tower for 'De Onlanden' - Visibility diagram, drawing courtesy UNStudio

Observation Tower for 'De Onlanden' - Circulation and view, drawing courtesy UNStudio

The fine lines and the form of the tower bring to mind the silhouette of a deer. UNStudio‘s design has therefore been given the (provisional) name ‘Het Hoge Hert’ (The Tall Stag).

The observation Tower is a hybrid construction, consisting of a combination of steel and Ultra High Performance Concrete. Steel is employed where the tensile stresses are foremost, whereas Ultra High Performance Concrete manifests excellent performance properties where the compressive stresses are highest. The parapet around the stairs and platforms is constructed from stainless steel mesh, enabling the combination of both maximum transparency and necessary safety levels.

+ Project credits / data

Observation Tower, ‘De Onlanden’, Groningen, Netherlands, 2011

Client: Natuurmonumenten
Location: Outskirts of Drenthe (near City of Groningen, Eelde and Peize)
Height: 25 m
No. of steps: 134
Programme: Observation Tower
Status: design

Credits:
UNStudio: Ben van Berkel with Arjan Dingsté and Marianthi Tatari, Marc Hoppermann, Kristoph Nowak, Tomas Mokry, Dorus Faber

Case Study partners:
UNStudio
ABT
Haitsma Beton
BAM Utiliteitsbouw

In a penthouse space in a historic building at the center of Chicago's River North neighborhood, Whirlpool Corporation, one of the world's largest manufacturers of kitchen and laundry appliances, has opened a training center, meeting space, and showroom that embodies its commitment to innovation. The facility includes buyer showrooms for brand collections targeting several different consumer segments, space for internal and external product feature and sales training, and hospitality venues to welcome potential customers.

Image courtesy Valerio Dewalt Train Associates | Photo by Barbara Karant

Image courtesy Valerio Dewalt Train Associates | Photo by Barbara Karant

Valerio Dewalt Train Associates began the design process by sitting down with Whirlpool Corporation's product designers in Benton Harbor, Michigan, touring research and product testing laboratories and existing showroom spaces, followed by an afternoon of shopping for appliances in retail stores. A day-long work session with the project stakeholders identified the users in detail, the ways each of the types of users should experience the space, and the collective vision for the center.

Image courtesy Valerio Dewalt Train Associates | Photo by Barbara Karant

The new Chicago facility greets its guests in a variety of ways. National sales teams learn about product features during the day, break for lunch in the clock tower conference room, cook on the products they've spent the day learning about, have a glass of wine on the terrace, and eat the meal they have cooked together. A line of major appliances in the space simulates the display of products on their showroom floor. Jenn-Air and KitchenAid brands host receptions for designers, foodies, and kitchen design influencers, as well as charitable events.

Image courtesy Valerio Dewalt Train Associates | Photo by Barbara Karant

The elevator doors open to a sun-filled lobby that looks out onto the outdoor space defined by a large terrace with a linear outdoor fireplace and outdoor demonstration kitchens. Indoor showrooms for each of Whirlpool Corporation's primary brands are placed around the perimeter. The design for each of the brand kitchen display spaces began from a single word that expresses the brand's essence: "precise" for Jenn-Air, "convivial" for KitchenAid, "innovative" for Whirlpool, and "durable" for Maytag. These words guided the different cabinetry forms, materials, details, and furniture for each space. To unify all the display spaces, a white plaster cove extends from the lobby and wraps the perimeter, starting at the floor, bending outward as it nears the ceiling, and becoming a canopy over the spaces containing appliances from each brand.

Image courtesy Valerio Dewalt Train Associates | Photo by Barbara Karant

The rooftop penthouse overlooks the Chicago River on one side and the skyline of the city on the other three sides. The design team wrapped the showroom kitchen spaces around the outer edge, with simply finished shared kitchen, storage, and conference areas in the central supporting space adjacent to the showrooms.

The historic clock tower's three levels house a boardroom, a lounge with leather sofas, and a flexible display venue behind the clock faces.

+ Project credits / data

Architect: Valerio Dewalt Train Associates
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Client: Whirlpool Corporation
Project Manager: Jones Lang LaSalle
Total square footage: 30,000 sq. ft.

General Contractor: Leopardo
Woodwork Contractor: Herner-Geissler Woodworking
MEP Engineer: WMA Consulting Engineers
Technical Kitchen Planning Consultant: Ellen Cheever & Associates
Commercial Kitchen Designer: S20 Consultants Inc
Lighting Consultant: Lighting Design Alliance
Furniture Design: Searl LaMaster Howe
Audio Visual: Avteg Consulting Engineers
Photographer credit: Barbara Karant

Project Team
Joe Valerio, FAIA Design Principal
Randy Mattheis, AIA Managing Principal
Christine McGrath, AIA Project Manager
Elisa Dennis, LEED AP
Bob Webber, AIA, LEED AP
Nora Ames
Lauren Nakles, AIA, LEED AP
Blake Patten, AIA

+ All images courtesy Valerio Dewalt Train Associates | Photo by Barbara Karant

The Swedish branch of C. F. Møller Architects, Berg Arkitektkontor, has designed Sweden’s new, spectacular skiing attraction, Skipark 360°, the world’s most complete indoor ski park with e.g. a 700 m long downhill slope and a drop of 160 m, making it the only indoor ski slope in the world to meet the requirements for hosting the World Cup.

Skipark 360°, render courtesy C. F. Møller Architects

Skipark 360°, render courtesy C. F. Møller Architects

At a height of approx. 135 m, it will be one of Sweden’s largest buildings, and will become a landmark in the forest landscape just outside Stockholm. Construction of the ca. 1.5-2 billion Swedish kroner project is expected to start at the turn of 2013/2014.

Skipark 360°, render courtesy C. F. Møller Architects

The idea for the Skipark 360° in Bålsta – 45 minutes outside of Stockholm – came about as this proud skiing nation has experienced reduced snowfall in the last couple of years. With the new facilities, approx. 70,000 m2 in total, both elite and amateur athletes can train and enjoy the skiing season throughout the year.

Skipark 360°, render courtesy C. F. Møller Architects

In addition to the downhill run, the complex will also contain a 3.5 km cross-country skiing tunnel, an arena for biathlon, ice hockey and figure skating, and a snow park for snowboarding. There will also be restaurants, shops, a spa and hotel and conference facilities, offering panoramic views of the countryside.

Skipark 360°, render courtesy C. F. Møller Architects

Sweden’s new icon

The icon for the complex will be its downhill slope, which will rise as a new landmark. The building has a striking appearance, with a simplified silhouette that emphasizes the Swe-dish landscape of forest and lakes. But it is also dramatic in size – at a height of approx. 135 m, it will be one of Sweden’s largest structures, and will possess a visual tension in the vast building’s few support points, which taper downwards and meet the forest floor at an angle.

Skipark 360°, render courtesy C. F. Møller Architects

Self-sufficient in energy

Worldwide there are today approx. 30 indoor ski resorts for alpine use – the probably most well-known is in Dubai.

A newly-developed concept will ensure that the complex is the most eco-friendly of its kind in the world. The complex will thereby be self-sufficient in energy from renewable sources such as geothermal heating, solar power, wind power and hydropower.

Skipark 360°, render courtesy C. F. Møller Architects

Skipark 360° has just signed an agreement with NCC to become the first partner on the project. NCC will also be board member on the project, and the parties signed a cooperation agreement that NCC will be in charge of the construction. The aim is to start construction at the turn of 2013/2014 and be able to inaugurate the new complex two years later.

The cost of the entire complex is an estimated 1.5 to 2 billion SEK. The visitors are expectedly the 3.5 million people living within an hour's journey of the complex. In addition the new facilities are located close to the Stockholm airport Arlanda, close to the motorway E18 and in an area with good public transportation. The expected number of visitors is 550,000 a year.

Skipark 360°, render courtesy C. F. Møller Architects

Success in Sweden

C. F. Møller Architects has in recent years headed a great number of large construction projects in Sweden. This is the result of a focused effort. To strengthen the company's position in Sweden, C. F. Møller in 2007 took over the Swedish company Berg Arkitekt-kontor. The Swedish branch of C. F. Møller has since then worked with assignments such as the national stadium of Stockholm, Swedbank Arena, with seating for 57,500 specta-tors. Among the latest big winning projects are the new, 70,000 m2 cutting-edge laboratory building Biomedicum, a unifying power house for research at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, and a new ferry terminal for the city of Stockholm for the ferry connections to Finland and the Baltics. At present the Stockholm Branch is also working on a master plan for the re-development of the Lock, Slussen, in central Stockholm and an extension of the Vasa Museum.

+ Project credits / data

Project: SKIPARK 360°, SWEDEN
Client: Skipark 360°
Size: 70.000 m²
Address: Bålsta, Stockholm, Sweden
Year: 2013-2015
Architect: C. F. Møller Architects | Berg Arkitektkontor
Collaborators: NCC

A-Lab is working on a design proposal for an eco-cube for the UNION group. The cube will be a pilot project for A-lab‘s eco-BIM technology.

The Økern area faces significant changes in the near future and is being developed as a new destination in Oslo. The new Økern center brings shopping, culture and housing to the area. Lørenveien 68 will function as a broker between the new Økern center and Løren’s established residential area.

ECO-CUBE | LØRENVEIEN, render courtesy 68 A-Lab

The different height levels of the site is used to generate a tilted surface. The Cube is set into this surface, and the volume under it is used for parking and technical functions. The surface is distorted by different entrances and skylights

The office volume is responsive to the varying character of the surroundings, creating social zones where there are good sunlight conditions or spectacular views over the city centre.

ECO-CUBE | LØRENVEIEN, render courtesy 68 A-Lab

The social zones are programmed with a meeting center, cafeteria, terrace for relaxation, recreation, and sports. The social zones punctuate an atrium that penetrates the entire office building. Here arises a social venue for employees.

ECO-CUBE | LØRENVEIEN, render courtesy 68 A-Lab

The building “breathes” through the green buffer zones located between the façade and atrium. These green zones unite the building's social zones with the building's environmental principles – compact building, natural ventilation, double facade and thermal mass.

ECO-CUBE | LØRENVEIEN - Diagram, drawing courtesy 68 A-Lab

+ Project credits / data

Project: ECO-CUBE | LØRENVEIEN 68
Location: Økern, Oslo, Norway
Architect: A-Lab | http://www.a-lab.no/

+ All images and drawings courtesy A-Lab