Gleis 3 / Step 4 - Switzerland

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GLEIS 3 / STEP 4, CHIASSO – SWITZERLAND, 2023

THE PROJECT AREA IS LOCATED IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF CHIASSO AND INVOLVES THE REUSE OF A LONG SEQUENCE OF FORMER RAILWAY WAREHOUSES, NOW AVAILABLE TO THE CITY. THESE ARE PLACES OF UNDENIABLE ARCHITECTURAL AND URBAN VALUE: THE REPETITION OF THE WOODEN STRUCTURE’S SPANS AND THE CANOPIES ALONG THE ROAD AND RAILWAY DEFINE A STRONG SPATIAL CONTINUITY; THE PLATFORMS, TWO LONG PLINTHS ON WHICH THE WOODEN STRUCTURES REST, DEFINE A ELEVATED AND SHELTERED LEVEL FROM THE ROAD AND RAILWAY; THE TRANSPARENCY OF THE CANOPY AREAS NOT OCCUPIED BY THE ENCLOSED WAREHOUSES HIGHLIGHTS THE SITE’S BELONGING TO A BROADER URBAN AND TERRITORIAL SYSTEM.

THE CHANGE IN USE OF THESE LARGE SPACES BRINGS A SHIFT IN SCALE IN THE APPROPRIATION OF THE ARCHITECTURE. THE LARGE SURFACES, ONCE INTENDED FOR THE STORAGE OF GOODS, ARE NOW DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE SLOW, PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC, DEFINING PLACES FOR REST AND GATHERING.

IN RESPONSE TO THIS CONDITION, THE PROJECT INTRODUCES A SMALL VOLUME, A SORT OF CAPSULE, WHOSE ARCHETYPAL FORM DERIVES FROM THE CONSTRUCTION TYPOLOGY OF THE EXISTING WAREHOUSES. THIS NEW ELEMENT OS ABLE TO DEFINE A HEATED AND COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENT, USABLE EVEN DURING THE WINTER MONTHS. AT THE SAME TIME, THANKS TO THE OPENING OF LARGE DOORS, IT ALLOWS THE EVENT SPACE TO EXTEND ACROSS THE ENTIRE SURFACE OF THE PLATFORM.

CONCEIVED AS THE NEW HEART OF THE BUILDING, IT ALLOWS THE ACTIVATION OF A CONTEMPORARY FUNCTION WITHOUT THE NEED FOR TECHNOLOGICAL OR CONSTRUCTION INTERVENTIONS ON THE EXISTING STRUCTURES, PRESERVING AND ENHANCING THEIR ORIGINAL CHARACTER.