Palazzo dei Sindacati
Mestre, Italy
Conversion of the building for use as shops and offices
Info
2003-2005: Project and supervision of construction
Project and supervision of construction: IDxEA
Clients: CDLM Camera del lavoro metropolitana Venezia, Unionservizi Cisl Srl, Società servizi e lavoro Venezia e Provincia Srl, Società Macri Srl
Lot surface area: 3.565mq
Total surface area: 9.580mq
Covered area: 1.110mq
Total volume: 20.981mc
Text
For the city of Mestre and the province of Venice, the Palazzo dei Sindacati is a highly symbolic building of immense social significance, thanks to both its particular function (as the headquarters of the workers’ unions) and its characteristic architecture, which has made it a veritable landmark for the area over the years. The civic responsibility that imbued the earliest stages of the project has become the stylistic hallmark of the restyling project: the challenge being that of realizing a project that would not only modernize the building at a technical level, by adopting the highest standards in terms of energy and operational efficiency, but also perpetuate its important role in the city and society by means of a distinctive architectural style.
The overall redesign of the building, along with the updating of all its systems and services, involved the internal areas and the interior and exterior surfaces, as well as a reorganization of the connecting walkways and driveways and the entire restyling of the surrounding environment. One of the first steps was to move the main entrance to the northern side of the building, specifically to increase its visibility, as it was previously located under a flyover. A large steel and alluminium screen was placed above the new entrance which announces the building’s purpose, displays its particular dynamic and participates in the life of the city thanks to these very media screens. This architectural feature was chosen expressly to reinforce the ties between the city of Mestre and its traditional steelworks, located in nearby Marghera.
Besides the new entrance for the building, the main changes to the exterior concerned the eastern and western facades, which were sheathed in glass and alluminium to allow as much light as possible into the building.
The two short sides were simplified and almost wholly camouflaged, except for the necessary breaks on the facade for ventilation and minimum illumination of the interior. These two sides of the building were given a ventilated facade consisting of horizontal fibre-cement panels in bands with visible alluminium profiles insulated by means of rockwool panels attached to the facade with springs.
The restyling project for the Palazzo dei Sindacati, which was planned and carried out in under two years, was honoured with the prestigious City of Venice Architecture Award in 2008.
The overall redesign of the building, along with the updating of all its systems and services, involved the internal areas and the interior and exterior surfaces, as well as a reorganization of the connecting walkways and driveways and the entire restyling of the surrounding environment. One of the first steps was to move the main entrance to the northern side of the building, specifically to increase its visibility, as it was previously located under a flyover. A large steel and alluminium screen was placed above the new entrance which announces the building’s purpose, displays its particular dynamic and participates in the life of the city thanks to these very media screens. This architectural feature was chosen expressly to reinforce the ties between the city of Mestre and its traditional steelworks, located in nearby Marghera.
Besides the new entrance for the building, the main changes to the exterior concerned the eastern and western facades, which were sheathed in glass and alluminium to allow as much light as possible into the building.
The two short sides were simplified and almost wholly camouflaged, except for the necessary breaks on the facade for ventilation and minimum illumination of the interior. These two sides of the building were given a ventilated facade consisting of horizontal fibre-cement panels in bands with visible alluminium profiles insulated by means of rockwool panels attached to the facade with springs.
The restyling project for the Palazzo dei Sindacati, which was planned and carried out in under two years, was honoured with the prestigious City of Venice Architecture Award in 2008.