Schweiz

AeDP R E S S

Published by: AeD Press

Architecture DepartmentCollege of Architecture and Environmental Design

California Polytechnic State UniversitySan Luis Obispo, California 93407 United States

www.arch.calpoly.edu

Printed and bound in the United States of America.

Second edition, 2013

ISBN-13 978-0-9835817-1-0

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSWe would like to thank Henri de Hahn,Department Head of the Architecture

Department, for his continual support andencouragement.

Architecture DepartmentOne Grand Avenue

San Luis Obispo, CA 93407-0282www.arch.calpoly.edu

Copyright © 2013, AeD Press / Cal Poly Architecture Department

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission

of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned. Errors or

omissions will be corrected in future editions.

Faculty Editor:Tom di Santo

Editor in Chief:David Gibbs

Cover Design:David Gibbs

Linsey Wood

Student EditorsLinsey Wood

John Tuthill

SVIZRAXI

Magia in Muggio: The Magic in Muggio. It sounds trite. Like some over-used Disney line which, as a consequence of its lacking originality and freshness, is now of only lingering import; nevertheless, however cliché it may sound, “the magic” may very well be the best way to describe the experience that was Stu-dio_Ticino in our little mountain hamlet of the Swiss Alps. The word could describe the cathedrale quality of light pouring over the steep verdant slopes after a summer thunderstorm, shining on a one-room chapel, the light made audibly manifest with the soundtrack of clinging sheep and cowbells echoing across the valley. The word could conjure the taste of Piera’s Oso Buco and Polenta with local valley cured grotto salami and formaggini washed down with hand made sodas and neighborhood wines. The word could paint the picture of our 15th century Leonardo Da Vinci Rivellino into which we most deftly and surgically intervened with plausibly radical modern insertions. Or, it could delineate any number of the epic journeys we took to hear balmy midnight opera in Roman arenas, to sail in gondolas down narrow Venetian corridors and canals, to bathe in the stone brilliance of Zumthor’s primal cave baths. It could bring alive the analysis of Terragni’s rational creations, Scarpa tectonics or the initimacy of San Benedetg’s mathematical precision. It could bring the music of Locarno or the bike rides through Zurich. It could materialize in the Disneyland for Architects in Weil-Am-Rhein’s Vitra Design campus. It could be found in the whimsy of Klee juxtaposed in contradistinc-tion to Picasso in the Bern Klee Museum. Maybe the magic was embedded in seeing the great British film director, Peter Greenaway’s installation in the Rivellino…or perhaps taking in the outdoor cinema of the grand piazza in Locarno. It was most certainly found in the pilgrimages into only the most remote regions of the Swiss Alps to find exquisite Valerio Olgiati edifices and Le Corbusier’s masterpiece: Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp. There was magic in the art we created in Simona’s resina sculpture and Bellini’s metal sculpture studio, on our south facing Scudellate terrace making watercolours, in the sala parochiale for ce-ramics lessons with Eva or sitting under the chestnut trees discussing the history + theory of autonomy versus participation in architecture. The magic was under every medieval stone we over-turned, under each blade of grass we compressed, over each mountain pass we traversed, in each lagoon we swam and in each river into which we dunked. We don’t care if it sounds trite or cliché. There was Magia in Muggio…and we experienced it. - Tom di Santo

magia in muggio...creating magic in the val di muggio...forging international connections through art and architectural layers

STUDIO TICINO: CREARE NEL CREATO

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSWhen my Uncle Ron Di Santo wrote the Guidebook to the Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, he recounted a very

funny story from the turn of the previous century about how some humorously playful and mischievous Oxford students discovered that Rudyard Kipling earned about a shilling per word for his writing. They wired Mr. Kipling a shilling asking him for one of his very best words. Kipling simply (and perhaps waggishly) wired back: “Thanks”. We consider this a very good word indeed, and hope to use it herein to lay down some of our considerable debt to the many generous people who have worked to make Studio_Ticino such a success in its second annual transatlantic flight.

First and foremost, we would like to give a vociferous thanks to Enrico Como, without whom the Studio_Ticino program would not exist. Mr. Como, born in Napoli, is a principal architect of SPaCe architects located in Milano, Los Angeles, New York, and Miami. He did his Master’s Thesis Work in the Ticino area giving him palpable connections to the region. On that fateful day in August of 2009, I simply mentioned on a hike in the Elfin Forest that I would like to start up an architecture program in the Italian section of Switzerland – Ticino. This spark obviously caught a needle in the forest of Enrico’s imagination, because he was immediately in-spired, made a few phone calls and the forest fire was instantly ablaze. We talked all weekend about the idea and one short month later we were mounting the program. We thank Enrico for his endless energy, programmatic and design ideas, inspiration, connec-tions and Italian language skills.

In addition, there are many to thank who helped in both Switzerland and California alike. We thank Oscar Innocenti for his organization and administration skills. Jeffery Meylan was our chief bottle washer and jack-of-all trades and an excellent and in-sightful critic for the students. As a recent graduate of architecture in Architecture from L’Accademia in Mendrisio as well as being a local metal fabricator, his skills, facilities and connections were irreplaceable. We thank Paolo and Arminio Scioli for welcoming us with open arms to perform a relievo and intervention on their Rivellino, designed by Leonardo Da Vinci. They treated us like family, introduced us to everybody, cooked for us, and let us use their downtown block in Locarno as a folly for our architectural projections. We thank the premier metal sculptor in the region, Paolo Bellini, for welcoming us into his elaborate metal fabrication and sculpture studio. We thank him for access to his state of the art workshop, for his expertise, his connections to the creative set in Ticino and for his wonderful metal sculpture workshop. We thank Eva di Santo for helping us get our hands dirty and our minds creative with her ceramics workshops. We thank Simona Bellini for her radiance and brilliant workshop in Resina Sculpture, helping the students bridge the gap between the constructivist tool-built sculptures of Paolo and the bio-morphic and tactile hand-built creations from Eva. We thank Francesca Graf, Chameli Innocenti and Oscar Innocenti for their incredible culinary skills as well as their ability to make us feel so welcome to the Valley. We thank Simona Bellini (again) and Ivan Artucovich for sharing their apartment, studio and life with us. We thank Peter Greenaway for being a brilliant and creative film-maker and artist and for his auspicious installation in the Scioli Rivellino, creating a backdrop for our interventions. We thank Luigi Snozzi for his inspiration and creative input into our projects. We thank architetto Guscemi for the tours of his Casa del Cinema project, and we thank him and Aldo Celoria for their attendance at our final critique. We thank Enrico Como for the tour of Milano, and Antonio for running the Ostello di Scudellate. We thank Piera Piffaretti (marito Guerino) for running the Osteria Anciana in Scudellate, for being the best grandmother to all the students and for cooking unparalleled polenta ed osso buco. We also thank her for being the conduit of donations of coffee from Caffe Chicco d’Oro in Balerna, of wine from Brogovecchio in Balerna, Beer from Cochi Bibite, also in Balerna. We thank equipe Sciolli for their hospitality, their risotto and help around the Rivellino, as well as Margherita Pali and Italo Rota for the introductions. We thank Jean Olaniszyn for his books and watercolours from Herman Hesse. We also thank Giovanni Monotti for his enthusiasm. We thank the media including Chiara Piccaluga of La RSI Radiotelevisione svizzera di lingua italiana for her erudite piece on us for Swiss Television, as well as the Giornale del Popolo, a Ticino newspaper for their article on studio Ticino. We would like to thank Henri de Hahn for his tireless support of the program, and we appreciate the dedication of the architecture department and Continuing Edu-cation staff to ensure that it run smoothly including, but not limited to: Arlene Gomez, Lisa Rutherford, Kathi Good, Rose Duran, and Shane McKeague. Finally, we would like to thank our fellow students, whose hard work, enthusiasm and alacrity make it all worth it. Last but not least, we thank Trinity and Nico for keeping us all young and excited to be alive. Thank you ALL for helping the second annual Studio_Ticino to become a model of success. It should be noted that by “we”, we mean the student staff who have helped produce this publication (Linsey Wood, David Gibbs, and John Tuthill).

Again, our sincerest appreciation, Tom di Santo

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swiss

workshops

ticino

projects

travel

Leaving our home in Scudellate, we set out to cover 16,000 square miles by train, bus, boat, and foot in a two-week tour of the Swiss nation. Known for its political neutrality, cheese, alps, chocolate, and more, Switzerland offered much to discover. We explored the 26 cantons, mingled with some of the 8 million locals, bartered with Swiss franc, and heard all four of the official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansh.

1+swiss

Home to 166,000 Swiss, Basel is the third most populous city. Covering nine square miles, Basel is located on the Northern border of Switzerland where the French and German borders meet. Basel served as a connection point for us through our journeys through Switzerland and abroad. During the day we explored the historic city and the shopping district, then watched the sun set over the Rhine in the evening.

basel

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Switzerland’s capital city, Bern, is the fourth most populous city housing 124,000 German-speaking Swiss over 20 square miles. It is ranked in the top 10 cities for best quality of life! Here we saw the famous Bern Bears in their new riverside habitat, the Paul Klee Mu-seum, and even a movie being filmed on one of the picturesque side streets.bern

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One of the smaller cities we visited, Chur spans over 11 square miles and is home to 33,000 people. Here we rode a gondola to an elevation of nearly 2000 ft! We were lucky enough to be there on one of the three days out of the year that Zumthor’s Roman Archeological Museum was open… or accidently left open long enough for us to [unknow-ingly] sneak in!

chur

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Arriving at a train station designed by Cala-trava, we took the town by storm in a single afternoon. Breaking into small groups, we explored the 5000 square miles of Lucerne on our own: we walked across the historic bridge, photographed the magical architec-ture, took part in the Blue Balls Festival, and ate cultural foods from around the globe with the 60,000 locals.

luzern

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We stopped at Sankt Gallen on our way to Austria. We weren’t quite able to investigate the 15 square miles of the city or meet any of the 73,000 inhabitants, but we were able to visit a picturesque cathedral and a beautiful bus station designed by Santiago Calatrava.

sankt gallen

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With a total area of 39 square miles, Sumvitg is home to just over 1000 people. Here people speak Romansh, the fourth official Swiss language alongside German, French, and Ital-ian -- only ½ percent of the total Swiss population speak this language. After taking many busses, trains, and an hour-long hike we made it to the pic-turesque location of Peter Zumthor’s church of Sogn Benedetg.

sumvitg

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By far one of our favorite stops on our Swiss tour, the tiny town of Vals is just over 18 square miles with 1000 residents. Most importantly it is home to Peter Zumthor’s Therme Vals – a thermal bath resort. We spent two full days here bathing and relaxing in the beautiful architecture and serene town. Each morning we were treated to an amazing breakfast and each night we were able to participate in the serene silent night swim. This leg of the trip was transformative and a re-laxing repreive from our fast-paced travels.

vals

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Switzerland’s largest city of 372,000, housed us for four nights. We walked and cycled the extents of Zürich’s 35 square miles leaving with many memories and grand experiences. The city was an amazing mix of culture, modern and classic architecture, scenery, vitality, and environment. Between meeting the locals, riding bikes along the river, exploring the nightlife, negotiating the vast network of streetcars, and even seeing the new-est Harry Potter movie, Zurich had something for everyone.

zürich

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2+workshops

Following Cal Poly’s “Learn by Doing” motto, we got our hands dirty in workshops directed by local artists and sculptors in Muggio and Tremona. From sculpting organic forms with resin and ceramics to welding together structured forms of metal, we learned new means to express our creativity. We worked individually and in groups to create both abstract and functional objects. Each workshop took us to a new locale and involved different techniques but the overlying spatial compositions in each carried through and influenced our final projects.

eva di santo

ceramics

Beginning with a gray, malleable substance, Eva taught us to use our hands and random tools like wire to mold the clay. It was easy to shape the material and get great results. Some of us made sculptural pieces while others made functional art: cups, bowls, jewelry, pencil holders, and watercolor palettes.

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enrico como

history

Embedded within each project we visited is a wealth of history that adds another layer of context and significance to each project. Enrico peri-odically brought us on guided tours in his hometown of Milan and through the hills of Ticino, imparting valuable knowledge and experiences. Our history workshops included the evolution of housing structures in Swiss villages, focusing on orientations of apartment complexes and the his-torical evolution of a modern town.

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paolo bellini

metal

After an hour-long hike to the mountain village of Tremona, we met Paolo, our metal instructor and the goats that roam in his field. We worked in his shop for hours starting with aluminum mock-ups and advancing to constructing sculptures from large pieces of rusted metal – learning how to impose a dialogue between light and heavy objects and how to create a hierarchy of balance.

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jeffery meylan

While Jeffery didn’t specifically lead any workshops, the Ticino native, lended a hand in everything we did. Between demonstrating his welding finesse at Paolo’s workshop, to leading tours on field trips, to offering valuable studio critiques, he always was available to help. Being able to work with Jeffery this summer was an awesome experience and everyone will surely miss hang-ing out with him on the porch of the Ostello.

resin

simona bellini

Making a sculpture in resin is a three-step process: First, a structure is made from wire or wire mesh; Second, resin powder is combined with eco-resin to make a paste and is applied to the sculpture; Third, the piece is smoothed with a sponge, left to dry, and then sanded. Simona, a lo-cal artist who makes incredible resin sculptors taught us this process over a three-day workshop in Muggio.

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tom di santo

Taught by our professor Tom, the watercolor workshops were challenging but ultimately very rewarding. We learned four distinct methodologies -- the ponzi method, the aptly named di Santo method, the watsonesque, and the verne swanson method -- and numerous additional techniques. While trav-eling, our paint sets always accompanied us and our class produced some very respectable pieces. These works, featured throughout this book pro-vided a new means to document our experiences and worked as incredible souvenirs for us to bring home.

watercolor

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3+ticinoOne of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, and the location of our residence and project site, Ticino

is in the southeast region of the country on the border of Italy. It is named after the famous Ticino River and boasts being the only solely Italian-speaking canton. Occupying slightly over 1000 square miles, it is home to 336,000 Swiss. It is divided into eight districts, each known for something special.

bellinzonaThe capital of the Canton of Ticino, Bellinzona is the locale of 17,000 Swiss and measures at just short of 8 square miles. The town is a modernized medieval city flanked by three castles, Castelgrande, Montebello, and Sasso Corbaro. Like most dis-tricts in Ticino, a gorgeous river runs through the foothills of the Alps giving life to the scenery.

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giornico

With just over 7 square miles and less than 1000 people, Giornico is quiet and relax-ing. A fair portion of the land is dedicated to wonderful chestnuts and vineyards. Here we battled the rain and visited the Märkli Museum and three churches: S. Michele, S. Maria del Castello, and S. Pellegrino.

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locarno

The location of our projects and home to the world’s third largest international film festival, Locarno takes up 2000 square miles on the northern border of Lake Maggiore. We were lucky enough to see a free showing of “Break-fast at Tiffany’s,” where they transformed the Piazza Grande and projected color on all the buildings – an unreal experience – with 15,000 locals and visitors from around the world. Some students also returned to see other world premieres.

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The first possible location for our project, Il Casa Del Cinema, is a former film school that has lost its func-tion over the years and is now used as an elementary school. The notion of film is central to Locarno, with the Festival del Film Locarno taking over the city for a few weeks each summer. Accordingly, the program called for reviving the school again to a film scool, to embody the excitement of the festival and provide a space for film to live on for future generations. Two groups chose to undertake this challenge, taking two distinct ap-proaches -- one called upon past context, building a structure out of layers of history, and the other sought to revolutionize the space, paving way for a better future. While each project developed differently, either one would be a perfect addition to the festival and the city.

Il Casa del Cinema

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Il RivellinoThe second possible location for our project, Il Rivellino, is the only known building to have been designed by Leonardo Da Vinci. The structure originally served as a bastion of defense for the Castello di Locarno against invading forces, and now is owned by the Sciolli brothers who use it as a gallery space. The brothers, recognizing the surreal ambiance of the site asked us to transform it into a social space. While not everyone worked in the same direction, the five groups who did take on this challange produced world-class clubs, phenomenological realms, upscale vinotecas, modern Italian grottos, and urban landmarks. Each project meticulously weighed the balance of preservation and evolution. It was amazing to be able to work with such an important part of architec-tural history and the lessons learned through our design will stay with us for the rest of our careers.

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lugano

Nicknamed the “Monte Carlo of Switzerland,” the district of Lugano is home to over 145,000 people. The 12 square mile city is home to numerous Mario Botta projects juxtaposing against the picturesque lake. We were lucky enough to be in Lugano on Swiss National Day, and celebrated by swimming in the lake during the day and climbing up above to view fireworks over the city at night.

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1 august 2011 swiss national day

mendrisio

Home to the Academy of Architecture, Mendrisio boasts a popula-tion of 12,000 in an area of 8.36 square miles. As a major focus of much of our travel in Ticino, we spent a great deal of time exploring the city. We frequented the region, taking tours of Aldo Celoria and visiting multiple projects by architect Mario Botta and ultimately his office at the end of the term.

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riva s.vitale

Riva San Vitale with a population of just under 2,500 and covering 2.31 square miles is host to one of Mario Botta’s earliest and most interesting works, the bridge house [casa bianchi]. The owner of the home was kind enough to allow our class to tour his residence and explore the very interesting structure. The visit to Riva San Vitale also brought us to the shores of Lake Lugano and to a few architectural sites through the city.

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vallemaggia

On top of the Lepontine Alps in the district of Vallemaggia, there is a single room church designed by Mario Botta with stunning natural lighting quali-ties and even a rollercoaster. The mountain, Monte Tamaro, is frequented by bikers and hikers, but there is a gondola that takes tourists straight to the church. Located in Mogno is the Church of San Giovanni Battista -- this church replaces one built in the 1600s that was destroyed by an avalanche. Sadly, this village is only a holiday village and has very few permanent residents.

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At the top of the world, on the peak of Monte Tamaro is a chapel by Mario Botta called Santa Maria degli Angeli Chapel. Within lies a central circulation comprised of a tunnel and a bridge that ends at a single bell hang-ing1500 meters over the village below. The chapel has spaces that play with light, opac-ity, and exterior spaces with vast views cre-ating great contrast between private intimate spaces and incredibly open spaces. We took our time to sketch and paint the chapel, play some chess, and take a ride on the nearby rollercoaster.

monte tamaro

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Home sweet home. Scudellate, with a population of only 24 people and an area of under 1 square mile, was the location of our summer residence, the ostello. The small hamlet in the Val di Breggia was a forty-five minute bus ride followed by another 15 minutes up a hairpin road from the closest city, Chiasso. Despite the small size and relative isolation, we never seemed to be without something to do. Countless hikes were taken to watering-holes, up mountains, and across borders; many hours were spent sitting out front and enjoying the vista, and of course the almost-daily vis-its to local resident Piera. The ‘scood’ provided many amazing experiences and left us with many more sto-ries for years to come

scudellate

unsupervised time in nature

val di breggia

Scudellate’s excellent setting in the foothills of the Alps allowed ample land to explore, unsupervised time in nature. We found water-ing holes, waterfalls, native animals, bridges to Italy, hidden benches, quiet resting spots, and breathtaking views that over look all of Ticino. Just next to our town, off of Roncapiano rose the grand Monte Generoso, which we hiked up many times. On a clear day one could view from our Val di Breggia to the churches of Milano and Torino, revealing the majesty of our environment.

unsupervised time in nature +

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living, working, traveling

ostello

Living in the ostello was the ultimate social experiment: 24 students living and working in small quarters for an entire summer. Ev-eryone would agree without fault that some of our best memories came from the small home in Scudellate. By the end of the summer, we all considered the ostello home. Between working late together, exploring the town, or just hanging out and painting on a warm afternoon, there was enough to completely satisfy everyone.

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buon compleanno, tom!

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studio lunch+dinner, cooking, barbeques

cuisine

Among the exciting times in Scudellate, one that everyone looked forward to without fail was meal-time. There always was a line eagerly awaiting the day’s cuisine prepared for us by the Innocenti family: Oscar, Chamelli, and Francesca. In the morning, we’d have fruit and yogurt left out for us, and then lunch and dinner our culinary masters prepared amazing swiss and italian cuisine. We were able to learn first hand the Italian right to good food and good drink.

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Our surrogate mother for the summer and owner of the town Osteria, Piera was a constant source of good times. We went almost daily to her home, where she served us fantastic cappuccino, Swiss wine, and the always present but infamous cafe corretto. On a particularly amazing evening, Piera prepared for us her famous osso bucco and it far exceded any expectations. Piera kept life in Scudellate interesting and always could put a smile on anyone’s face.

piera

Our resident chefs throughout the summer, the famiglia Innocenti -- Os-car, his wife Francesca, his sister Chameli, Mother-in-law Rosanna, and their families -- cooked lunch and dinner for us daily. We were fortunate enough to get to know all of them and enjoy their amazing culinary creations. They prepared incredible pastas to delicious pizzas displayed over the next few pages and many variations of authentic Italian cuisine.

famiglia innocenti

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delizioso

gustoso

cucina

4+projectsWorking together in teams of three or four, our studio groups completed seven projects: two film

schools, two wine bars, two nightclubs, and one monumental wall. The projects encompassed many disciplines -- interior, landscape, urban, and architectural design -- and melded our experi-ences gained abroad with our knowledge brought from home. We presented the projects in Da Vinci’s Rivellino to an array of prominent Swiss architects and artists to bring a fitting end to our Swiss experience.

1 3.5” x 4.5” image, 300 dpi min.or4 2.25” x 1.75” images, 300 dpi min.

The Casa del Cinema located in Locarno is directly adjacent to the largest film festival in Switzerland. Every year the film festival draws thousands of visitors making cinema innate to the culture of Locarno. The film school represents the heart of the Locarno Film Festival and should encompass its’ international implications as well as the school’s historic location. Through examining the walls of Castello Visconteo and the significance of the port on the site, water became an influential feature. We were inspired by the transient nature of water, highlighting its transition period as it dissipates. Also emulating it’s reflective surface that is constantly changing, yet remain-ing translucent. Thes properties made it an ideal muse for our skin. The skin fosters a connection between the Piazza and the interior through film viewing and translucency. Our intervention respects the old while creat-ing a more usable, enticing and dynamic space open to public interactions through the exhibit spaces, film screenings and café.

Our design removes the addition previously added to the school . The re-moval of this piece opens up the courtyard to create an interior plaza al-lowing pedestrian traffic to flow freely from the main adjacent pathways or the Galfetti rotunda into the new plaza. Maintaining the exterior walls of the second and third floors allowed us to replace the first floor entirely with glass to make it appear as if the old building was virtually floating. The main intervention work then appears on the first floor and on the walls of the interior plaza. Here, a double skin screen system replaces the old facade and acts not only as a screen for lighting and ventilation purposes but doubles as media for which large projections can occur for events or screenings in the interior piazza. The skin can also be used from the interior for private screenings within the cinema studios, where film can be projected on the skin to be viewed inside yet still recognizable from the interior plaza. This allows for a dialogue between the interior and the exterior as well as an op-portunity for the city to interact with the school when they see something is happening within.

using water as a metaphor and a motif for the gradual transition from old to new

CASA DEL CINEMAolivia calalo, michelle loeb, erin osberg, gabriel santos

tom di santosummer 2011

program allotment and redistribution

CASTLE RUINSPIAZZA GRANDE

TRAIN STATION

VIA BERNARDINO LUINIIL RIVELLINO

VIA PARDO

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full bleed image, 7” x 9”, 300 dpi minimum

water has significance both historically and metaphorically on this site. using the water’s properties as an analogy for the transition from old to new, influenced the design of our screen

intervention in the interior plaza.

Gabriel Santos

Olivia Calalo

Erin Osberg

Michelle Loeb

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1 3.5” x 4.5” image, 300 dpi min.or4 2.25” x 1.75” images, 300 dpi min.

During eleven days in August, film culture, debate and discussion inhabit the city of Locarno Switzerland, host of the annual Locarno film festival. The third largest international film festival in the world, it is unique in that it maintains it’s integrity by not being an exercise in taste or mass produc-tion, but an “unpredictable groundswell of innovation, altered by the con-vergence of historic film form and it’s current or potential mutations.” Both history and innovation are valued, collecting many new and old ideas for wider perspectives of the world.

This attitude about film can be translated to a new school of film located in the heart of Locarno. A modern addition to an existing elementary school, the design responds to the contextual history of Locarno while creating a new identity for the film school. In this way, the project offers students a wide range of experiences rooting from a long timeline of history, ideal for a creative atmosphere.

The addition occupies the space once taken by the first floor of the existing elementary school. The old building rests on top of two new concrete and glass boxes and one wall of water. The majority of the space is left open, al-lowing smooth circulation through the building to the rest of the city. The building does not become an obstacle, but rather another open piazza to commute through. One concrete volume leads one to the film school, which occupies the second and third stories of the existing school. The other vol-ume leads to a new theater sitting just outside the school, wrapped in an oxidized copper skin. The geometry and landscape of the project not only react to the existing building, but reference ancient walls and towers of a water port once existing on the site. The architecture feels like it is erupting out of the site, revealing the many layers of history embedded in the site, but also adding new layers to the dialog.

in the way film looks at the past through eyes of the present, the casa del cinema addition reinterprets the history of the site in locarno to create a modern identity for a new film school

TECTONIC ANACHRONISMRyan Blue, Wendy Truong, Linsey Wood, Yasmin Bouzar

Tom DiSantoSummer 2011

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the intervention

outdoor theater - night

history roomgrid system

piazzas proposed circulation

parking

historic water levels

former circulation

Linsey Wood

Yasmin Bouzar

Wendy Truong

Ryan Blue

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Cities in this day and age are constantly in a state of becoming. The advent of new technologies and simultaneous population growth have made our modern cityscapes more bustling and buzzing with energy and life than they have ever been before in history. We as designers cannot overlook this completely visible, tactile, and auditory energy that has such great potential to be harnessed and encapsulated into architecture. Creating a strong and positive sensory experience for the audience in a building, can be the differ-ence between love or hate towards a design.

CitE Qlub is a modern experiment focused on becoming the architecture of the auditory that can be fully integrated with and influenced by the city’s inhabitants. With that said, our intervention into the Rivellino titled “CitE Qlub” intends to bring the sounds and life from the city of Locarno into da Vinci’s building that sits far back from the street and is relatively hidden from view. The name “CitE Qlub” is derived from the term “EQ”, which is used in a variety of media from film to music to describe the equalization levels of audio in any production. But CitE Qlub is more than just a nightclub. Lo-cal sound artists performing in the Rivellino will be mixing the sounds of Locarno live into the background music of the lounge and club before the discoteca opens later in the evening. These sounds are recorded from the main gathering areas around the city, as shown in the diagram to the left. Their location is made known, as people are encouraged to speak near the microphones or play an instrument near while the sound artists inside the Rivellino act as the filter, constantly listening to the sounds and mixing live. CitE Qlub also has a prominent bridge feature connecting the Casa del Cin-ema and the museum on the opposite side. This was designed as a means to combine the visual arts in the adjacent museum with the audio arts in the Rivellino, culminating at the Casa del Cinema where the auditory and visual come together to form film.

Today, architecture must connect with its inhabitants on a sen-sory level that goes beyond just comfort and sight. Occupant in-fluenced sound architecture has the possibility to create a new quality of experience within a space because the building’s oc-cupants will ultimately determine the sense qualities of a space.

CitE QlubDavid Gibbs, Lawrence Le, Brian Randlett, Anthony Yue

Tom Di SantoSummer 2011

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A counterweighted sliding door serves as the main entrance. The pulley system sits lightly on the Rivellino wall, viewable from the terrace above.

As each door slides, steel nubs on the track play out a short piece of music said to be written by Leonardo da Vinci. Pitch variation is accomplished by varying the weights of the nubs. The door plays out in stereo — bass clef on the left, treble on the right.

Visitors are given the chance to “remix” da Vinci’s piece by controlling the rhythm, tempo, and note order. Sliding the door closed plays the notes in reverse; sliding the door back and forth allows for an infinite number of variations in rhythm, tempo, and pitch.

through the double helix stairway, empha-sizes the different levels of the Pavilion. The lower level in this section is the Rivellino, which is the most important level for the project and the best space for sound.

is a perspective through the double helix stairway and the entry door showing main circulations and the relationship of the Rivel-linno and courtyard and bridge above it.

section A [left]

section A [right]

Lawerence Le

Anthony Yue

David Gibbs

Brian Randlett

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As a modern interpretation of the Italian grotto, Enoteca del Rivellino provides casual and intimate environments for social interactions. Located between the historical and urban sector of Locarno, Enoteca respects the historic quality of Il Rivellino, while illustrating a modern perspective on the grotto. This convergence of modern and historic architecture provides the people of Locarno with an ideal setting to convene.

To create a connection between the Rivellino and the rest of the city, the existing courtyard was expanded to open to the street and a more direct approach to the entrance was made. With this, the Rivellino is still relatively hidden by surrounding buildings when approaching from the Piazza Grande, maintaining an element of obscurity. A public staircase on the south wall of the Rivellino makes a direct connection between the modern and historical sectors of the city, while also providing a more direct path to Castello Visconteo. The landscape within the site was influenced by the historic shore line of Lake Maggiore meeting the edge of il Rivellino. The entry to the site consists of large concrete pavers floating above a pool of water, creating an oblique path into the inner courtyards and the building’s entry. The water level will rise, fall and freeze throughout the seasons, expressing temporality and change.

To open the interior of the Rivellino to an expanded courtyard and the street, corten steel extrusions were formed using angles from existing buildings and preexisting openings in the fortress of Locarno. Above the Rivellino, two intersecting volumes mirror interior volumes of the level below, providing another bar, additional seating, and event space for the world-famous Locarno Film Festival. Enoteca offers both casual and private lounge spaces. The casual spaces relate to the modern sector of the city, while the private spaces relate to the historical residential portion. Both types are always connected, either visually or physically. Privacy within the most private lounges is maintained, but translucent glass panels expose soft shadows of those within. This juxtaposition of privacy and exposure expresses the idea of connecting two parts of the city.

connecting the historic and urban through a modern interpretation of il grotto ticinese

ENOTECA DEL RIVELLINOChristine Baldwin | Ayako Nishimura | Garrett Runck

Tom di Santo | Studio TicinoSummer 2011

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full bleed image, 7” x 9”, 300 dpi minimum

Ayako Nishimura

Garrett Runck

Christine Baldwin

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redefining an urban context to accomodate for the future, to emphasize the past, and to better the present

LIBERATING THE GRIDjohn tuthill _ tucker marshall _ vincent catania

tomasso di santosummer 2011

At the intersection of the 3 grids of Locarno, the Rivellino sits with in an awkward disconnect from public circulation. Within the nightclub intervention, the highly reflective and modern el-ements contrast the original heavy stones in an effort to bring attention to both the new and the original. To reconnect the Rivellino to the surrounding public spaces, the addition of out-door atriums and the bridge form physical and visual openings revealing the Rivellino to the public.

Designing to the Locarno of 2040 and beyond, the bridge is a gesture to provide a grand perspective over the future fairway of the film festival as well as treat the Rivellino as an archae-ological treasure meant to be seen from a more appreciative vantage point. Locarno is on the rise both physically and in populous, these interventions are designed with this in mind, so future generations can appreciate the history of Locarno before it is lost in urban growth

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STANDING LOUNGE-INTERACTIVE CIRCULATION

-GLASS DRINK TABLES

BACKSTAGE-EXCAVATED

-DJ LOUNGE

-SITE CAST CONCRETE WALLING/FLOORING

-WHITE GLASS ELEMENTS

DJ STAGE-DJ STAND

-CLUB SPEAKERS

-LCD SCREENS

-RED GLASS ELEMENTS

DANCE HALL-STEPPED DANCE FLOOR

-CLUB SPEAKERS

-LCD SCREENS

-RED GLASS ELEMENTS

-MECHANIZED LIGHT SHOWS

COOL DOWN LOUNGEPLAY LOUNGE-

BLUE FORMAL LOUNGE -

INTIMATE LIGHTING-

SMOKING LOUNGECONCENTRIC LOUNGE SEATING-

YELLOW GLASS ELEMENTS -

RAISED CEILING-

DAYLIGHTING-

BARRED LEATHER BAR STOOLS-

RED GLASS ELEMENTS-

ARTIFICIAL CEILING LIGHTING-

GRIDED ALCOHOL WALL ELEMENT-

VISUAL INTERESTGLASS WINDOWS ELEMENT-

STANDINGLO

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COOL DOWN

L O U N G E

SMOKINGLOUNGE

ENTRY

E X I T V I P

B A C K S T A G E

DJ

B A R

INT

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VE

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SP

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GR

AM

SP

AC

ES

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ON

. PL

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Tucker Marshall

Vincent Catania

John Tuthill

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peeling away from its urban context, the Rivellino asserts itself as the key connection between contemporary Locarno and its old town origins. once a functioning component of the Castello Visconti, the Rivellino has since found its footing in the thriving area adapting from its original role in defense to become a testament to the city’s resilient past and prosperous future.

the Piazza Rivellino is poised to revitalize the neighborhood, bringing more life into the area and more stature back to this deserving cultural site. the addition of a wine bar and venues for cinematic events contribute to a heightened sense of regional pride.

the city pulls away from the structure carving a buffer around the building, preserving its character while socially integrating itself into the surrounding piazza.

Il Rivellino di Locarno.Preserved origins, modernized associations.

Riv [vino]kaitlin bailey + erin dewey + amanda rowlee

ticino + di santosummer 2011

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Erin Dewey

Amanda Rowlee

Kaitlin Bailey

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URBAN PROPOSALIl Rivellino of Locarno Castel was designed by Leonardo da Vinci, but the beautiful history remains hidden behind a cafes and other retail off of the main pedestrian avenue. With the surrounding buildings removed, a new wall is built that respects the historic defensive wall and maintains a mystery about Il Rivellino. Now a new public piazza surrounds Il Rivellino with a cafe and bar, inviting locals and visitors to relax while their children can play in the water feature. The interior of Il Rivellino becomes an art museum challenging artists with its unique environment, as a grand staircase connects the new piazza to Locarno Castel.

The wall angles out over the street to represent the historic gate into Castel Locarno and now marks the transition into the historic part of the city. Made of both transparant and translucent glass panels, the wall acts as a veil, hinting at what is behind without revealing it all. Once through the “gate”, Il Rivellino is revealed. The layers of the wall separate on the far side of the piazza creating an enclosed space for visitors to socialize.

HISTORIC VALUE Our project focuses on historic preservation, revival and exposure: - Preservation and reinterpretation of the 1st fortress that surrounded the Visconteo castle: The Wall - Revival of the Castle’s limits and its ports of entry:The Portal - Exposure of the Rivellino and the archeological area: The Piazza- Invitation of exploration within the History: The Gallery

Discovery. Excavation.

Preservation. Revival.

[re]defining the wallAndrea Escobar | Megan Kuzma | Kate Hajash

Tom di Santo | Studio TicinoSummer 2011

DISCOVERY EXCAVATION

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PUBLIC

CIRCULATION

ART EXHIBIT

SEMI-PUBLIC

satellite baroutdoor seatingpiazzettawater feature

covered bar

existing bar

outdoor seating

The piazza requires 5 features in order to be successful[1] the “attraction” _ il rivellino[2] open spaces

[3] seating[4] surrounding bar + restraunt[5] play area for children

[1]

[4]

[3][5]

[CONCEPT] piazza

[EXPLODED] wall diagram

Kate Hajash

Andrea Escobar

Megan Kuzma

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5+travel

Switzerland is landlocked by five neighboring countries: Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and Liechtenstein. We were lucky enough to travel to all but Liechtenstein – easily doubling or qua-drupling the number of countries each person had visited! We experienced cultures, politics, food, and modes of transportation far different from those we had become accustomed to in Switzerland and back home. Between constantly switching languages and currencies, we had a flash flood of culture in an incredible 14 day trip.

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austria

bregenzFollowing our afternoon sprint through Sankt Gallen, we got on a bus to Bregenz. It is only 11 square miles but hosts 28,000 people! Here we went on a walking tour of modern homes and visited the famous Kunsthaus by Zumthor, which features international con-temporary art.

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france

belfort

A quick stop in Belfort, which is home to 53,000 French, allowed us to see Jean Nouvel’s Municipal Theater. Though it was our only stop in the 7 square mile town, we saw a lot of detail and coordination in this design – from the doors, to the pattern of the material, to the site considerations.

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ronchamp

One of our favorite stops, Ronchamp is home to Le Corbusier’s famous Notre Dame du Haut. Since the-town is relatively small – only nine square miles with 3000 people – it was not a surprise that a hike was in or-der. We climbed about 1000 ft above Ronchamp to see the timeless masterpiece. After enjoying the architecture for a few contemplative hours, we ventured down the hill and enjoyed some famous french pastries.

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germany

weil am rein

In Germany, we passed through a town of 30,000 people and went straight to an architecture Disney-land, the Vitra Campus at will am Rein. Vitra, a luxury chair manufacturer, has the famous Zaha Hadid firestation, a design museum by Frank Gehry, a meeting hall by Tadao Ando, a bridge by Alvaro Siza, a Jean Prouvé petrol station, and the Herzog + de mueron showroom. Between sitting on hundreds of chairs and seeing amazing architec-ture, the Vitra Campus did not disappoint.

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Conference Pavillion Tadao Ando, 1993

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Fire Station Zaha Hadid, 1993

Factory Building Alvaro Siza, 1994

Petrol Station Jean Prouve, 1953/2003

Dome Richard Buckmister Fuller, 1978/2000

Vitra Design Museum Frank Gehry, 1989

Vitrahaus Herzog + de Meuron, 2010

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italy

como

Two one hour bus rides and one four-minute train ride away from Scudellate lies the 14 square miles that is Como, home to 85,000. Here we sketched and investigated the historic cathedral and some of the surrounding contemporary works. We split into groups and some explored the buildings while others walked for an hour to taste what was acclaimed to be the best Italian meal in town – and it was!

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milano

The first of many journeys to Milano: with 70 square miles and 1.3 million inhabitants, Milano clearly had a lot more to offer than fashion. The tour, guided by Enrico, started at the Pirelli Tower by Gio Ponti then took us above and below the city to la triennale and then a short walk to the sforza castle. For lunch we visited Enrico’s firm, space archi-tects, and enjoy a reprieve from the hot sun in his office. Continuing through the streets of the city, we arrived at the grand Duomo and the adjacent stunning galleria. Winding through the famous fashion district of Milano, we ended up at the church of Santo Ambrogio, then conclude our tour with a delicious milanese buffet.

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san vitoPossibly one of the best known spots vis-ited was San Vito d’Altivole. This is the site of Carlo Scarpa’s addition to the Bri-on Cemetery. Scarpa himself is buried here. Though the 6,000 locals probably do not visit often, it is an architectural marvel well worth the journey one must take out of the city to get there.

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venezia

Located on 160 square miles of land in Northern Italy, Venice had something for everyone. Whether one fell in love while riding a gondola on the canals, mar-veled at the beautiful scenery on the main canal, or got lost at the biennale, Venice was amazing. Filled with 270,000 residents and many tourists, activity was never dull. From the piazza San Marco, to the Olivetti ex-hibit, to the many works by Scarpa, the aesthetics were incredible.

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la bienalle | ILLUMINAZIONI

With 265,000 residents, Verona is known for its heritage, commonly refer-ring to arts and opera. The 80 square miles that make up Verona are pep-pered with exciting exhibits and monu-mental locations such as the Verona Arena and Juliet’s house. The day began exploring the castle and bridge at Castelvecchio, then moved to the Arena to witness an opera as the sun set over the town.

verona

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S V I Z Z E R A

S V I Z Z E R AXI