Mario Cucinella designs new Val d’Aosta University campus

As often in his work, Mario Cucinella once again demonstrates that architecture can dialogue with the territory while respecting the historical heritage and the natural landscape and, at the same time, trigger new energies of urban development. The project involved the conservation and recovery of the main buildings of the Ex Caserma Testafochi barracks, near the historic centre of Aosta, and the establishment of a university campus. The complex houses the spaces for teaching and the common activities of the various departments that will be able to accommodate approximately 2,000 students, as well as new public spaces and green areas that reconnect the former military compound with the city. The Palazzina Ex Zerboglio marks the contemporary trait of the intervention, proposing in its sinuous and immaculate form the silhouette of an Alpine glacier that comes alive and twists organically like a living body moulded by light and wind.

The volume of four above-ground and two underground levels tapers upwards to reduce the impact of the construction. On the ground floor there are the cafeteria and access to the Aula Magna; on the upper floors, the classrooms; on the lower levels, in addition to the technical rooms, there are two computer labs lit by an underground patio (on level -1) and the Aula Magna seating up to 176 (on level -2).
On the façade (a framed envelope of metal ribs and horizontal box-shaped caissons made of acrylic stone), the architectural “skin” expands or compacts according to height and exposure, to allow for optimisation of sunlight and perspective interaction with the surroundings.  

Special attention to environmental sustainability guided the project. The conformation of the building resulted from a detailed examination of sun and shadow paths and exposure to prevailing winds to protect the anthropic ecosystem from extreme climatic conditions and at the same time to exploit environmental resources for its operability, through the integrated project of the shells and systems, the high level of thermal insulation and the use of renewable sources.