Commissioned: Ministero delle Infrastrutture e dei Trasporti – Magistrato alle Acque
Period: 2009-2011
Country: Italia
The improvement of buildings in the Arsenal to make them suitable for housing the centre for the management of the lagoon ecosystem and the maintenance of the Mose System (to protect Venice from high tides) requires careful planning that respects the Arsenal complex’s value as a historic monument while ensuring optimal efficiency for the activities and work that will be conducted in these buildings.Modifications made to a small factory building in the North Arsenal known as “Building 62” (performed by Consorzio Venezia Nuova and designed by Thetis and C+S Associati architecture studio) reflect this renovation philosophy. In this example, the building’s small size and simple nineteenth-century structure are irrelevant, as it is the application of these principles that is important.
In redesigning the interior, the project sought to maintain the original spirit of the Arsenal’s buildings: empty spaces that were temporarily occupied by objects being built or repaired, as well as objects being stored and gradually forgotten as technological progress made them obsolete. All of the elements of the design come together in a single object, a sort of “artefact” that is housed within the existing square space.
An underground level provides the ideal location for the building services equipment, which features special characteristics and functions.
The interior space is free of terminal units, as the building features a forced-air ventilation and heating system with a continuous line of supply vents along the bottom of the perimeter walls and return vents at the top of the “artefact”.
The building services (ducts, wiring, etc.) are beneath the floating floor, improving the flexibility of the space’s usage.
The materials and the building services solutions are in line with international energy efficiency standards.
The design includes plans for geothermal drilling and exterior photovoltaic panels that are fully-integrated into the architecture.
The building will later be connected to the centralized building services that will serve the entire area. The centralized heating and cooling system includes a water loop that makes use of diffuse energy sources and obtains energy from a renewable source – the lagoon. In addition, a sophisticated water purification system enables large quantities of water to be recovered and reused
