'Cube' Gradenigo

The 'Cube' Gradenigo intervention is part of the area between Via Gradenigo and Via Ognissanti, a context historically characterized by a deep urban and cultural stratification that ranges from the necropolis of the ancient Venetians to the university architecture of the twentieth century. The project was born with the aim of completing and enhancing the build ability of the university sector, now campus of numerous engineering departments, through a building replacement intervention capable of combining innovation, memory and quality of public space.

The design genesis of 'Cube' Gradenigo starts from the need to create new functional spaces in dialogue with the existing buildings and with the protected pre-existence of the "Palazzetto Costruzioni Marittime". The intervention also re-establishes the historic visual axis that originally connected the atrium of the building to the Royal Agricultural Garden behind, restoring perspective depth and perceptive continuity to the entire university area.

The architecture of the new building is developed through a binary volumetric composition, designed to mitigate the visual impact of the new intervention and connect different scales and languages. The base, developed on a single level and intended for the research laboratories and the conference room, is characterized by a material plaster chromatically consistent with the historic building, strengthening the building's link with the ground and with the memory of the place.

Above, separated by a visual detachment plane that lightens the volumetric perception, there is a two-level technical body intended for the teaching offices. This upper volume is defined by a contemporary skin made of UHPC (Ultra High Performance Concrete) panels, a material chosen for its high technical performance, formal precision and essential aesthetics.

To complete the intervention, the insertion of green roofs on the lower portions reconstructs the perception of the continuity of the garden, generating a real "plant backdrop" capable of mitigating the presence of the new offices and integrating the project into the existing landscape. 'Cube' Gradenigo thus manages to combine the high functional requirements of the Department with the sensitivity required by a context of particular archaeological, historical and monumental value.