An in-depth analysis of the morphology and history of the building in preparation for a major renovation revealed the need to completely remodel both the interior and the façades. Built in the 1940s by the architect Bruno Bossi, the structure was originally intended as a home, and the numerous interventions thereafter did not sufficiently compensate for its radical change of use. Efforts by numerous professionals to remodel the building as an administrative centre had had little success. Only by demolishing and rebuilding anew the façade facing the lake, removing the balconies (which created too much horizontality), closing a number of openings, and eliminating the arches of the ground floor porticoes was it possible to achieve an administrative character in keeping with the building’s present functions as a bank. The architectural and material choices took into consideration the bank’s position directly beside the historic BSI building, which had been renovated by the Camponovo Studio a decade before and was among the most important in the city. The adoption of extremely clean, rigid lines for the façades, details designed so as not to disrupt the simplicity of the forms, and a bright hue for the facing material were some of the ideas that emerged from the planning phase. In fact, the intervention “played the contemporary card” with consummate elegance and simplicity. The use of travertine for the facing of the façades satisfied the two essential objectives of using the original material as the “memory” of the building and of juxtaposing a neutral, bright natural material with the stately exposed brick façade of Palazzo Riva. On the other hand, the proposal for an entrance hall extending from one end to the other of the ground floor was motivated by the aim to connect the city centre with the lakefront. The length of the hall creates a telescopic effect, augmented by its vertical and oblique walls that multiply perspectives and transparencies, as Camponovo loves to do, and further enhanced by portals installed by artist Daniel Buren. Placed in sequence along the axis of the entrance hall through to the large opening in the back, these portals create an extraordinary effect. The large lateral openings along via degli Albrizzi are also complemented by Buren’s chromatic works, in the interest of giving a strong, vibrant urban sign. Several upper floors feature the work of international artists Liam Gillick, John Amleder, and Robert Barry, adding an unmistakable artistic and cultural value to the spaces designated for receiving clients. The intervention was well-received, and indeed many consider the BSI building to be one of the most important structures in the city centre.
Giampiero Camponovo
2005
Lugano
Banks and Financial Institutions, Projects