Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome
07/07/2018.
Città del Sole [Rome] Italy
metalocus, INÉS LALUETA
metalocus, INÉS LALUETA
After winning the Municipality of Rome's invite-only competition in 2007, architects Maria Claudia Clemente and Francesco Isidori of Labics revitalized a former bus depot at the edge of town into a mixed-use complex called the Città del Sole, or “City of Sun”. Working with Local Public Transit Authority ATAC, the Municipality of Rome sought design proposals that would redevelop a number of transit depots in the city. Labics completed Città del Sole in 2016.
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph by Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Interior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Exterior nocturnal view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Marco Cappelletti
Model. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Courtesy by architects
Axonometric. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Courtesy by architects
Axonometric. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Courtesy by architects
Axonometric. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Courtesy by architects
Site plan. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Courtesy by architects
Site plan. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Courtesy by architects
Site plan. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Courtesy by architects
Site plan. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Courtesy by architects
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Fernando Guerra
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Fernando Guerra
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Fernando Guerra
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Fernando Guerra
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Fernando Guerra
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Fernando Guerra
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Fernando Guerra
Exterior view. Labics redevelops former bus depot into “City of Sun” in Rome. Photograph © Fernando Guerra
In designing the 17,300 sqm. project, Labics wanted to create a porous urban center for the local community that would also enhance the neighborhood's identity.
Description of project by Labics Studio
Winning competition entry for the redevelopment of an urban area, including the transformation of an existing bus depot to integrate a mixture of uses including office, retail space and residential units.
This project is part of the Municipality of Rome’s initiative to redevelop a number of transport depots within the city in conjunction with local public transport authority ATAC. It involves the regeneration of a neighbourhood with a weak identity but with good growth potential due to its location at the edge of the city centre. Labics’ aim therefore was to create a new centre for the local community, but also to increase its profile as a place of transition with privileged access to the city centre.
The development of the site has been designed to be porous, allowing good access to and from the site, encouraging the flow of people and demonstrating Labics’ philosophy that cities should be built around systems rather than as a series of objects. Public realm space is not seen as residual but is fully integrated with the built elements – so, for example, the basement space becomes the load-bearing structure for high level walkways as well as a pathway in itself. This creates a complex public space, rich in experience.
The project is articulated over different levels, with commercial activities and the public library at ground level, offices on the first floor and public spaces on top of those. Three buildings are suspended above this public area – one containing more offices and the other two for residential use. The residential buildings contrast in terms of their typology and external treatment. The first is a tower containing small and medium-sized flats, partially enclosed with a horizontal glass brise soleil. The second ‘villa’ building contains luxury duplex apartments and is clad with aluminium panels that provide flexible, adjustable sun shading and a playful, ever-changing envelope temas.
More information
Architect
Labics Studio (Maria Claudia Clemente, Francesco Isidori)
Design Team
Susan Berardo, Leonardo Consolazione, Gaia Maria Lombardo, Giorgio Pasqualini, Laura Perri
Design development
Luigi Panetta (project architect), Paola Bettinsoli, Chiara Capriulo, Gaia Maria Lombardo, Michele Morganti, Giorgio Pasqualini, Filippo Pesce, Christina Rittel
Collaborators
Structures.- Studio Pagnoni Vita
Instalaciones y sostenibilidad.- 3TI Progetti Italia
Awards
European Architecture Awards 2017 [Winner Special Prize Sustainable Innovating Project]
Client
Hines Spa
Developer
Parsitalia s.r.l.
Area
Total area.- 17,300 m². Net floor area.- 13,500 m².
Gross built area.- 11,800 m² Volumen bruto Gross build volume.- 75,316 m³
Dates
Ground break.- 2007
Completed.- 2016
Cost
35,500,000 euros
Venue
Via della Lega Lombarda. 00162 Rome. Italy
Maria Claudia Clemente, Francesco Isidori. Labics
Labics architecture was founded by Maria Claudia Clemente, Francesco Isidori and Marco Sardella in 2002. The main aim was to convey, under a unique name, those architects, artists and designers who identify with a shared experimentation project in the field of architecture.
Labics research activity aims at an architecture capable of overcoming the status of a singular object, in favor of an architecture that becomes territory, background, structure.
Recently Labics has received the honorable mention for the contest of the Guggenheim Museum in Helsinki and the tourist Klekovaca Center of competition in Bosnia and has won the second prize in the international contest for the design of the station no. 11 for the Tabriz metro (2016). In 2017 Labics has won two major competitions: one for four residential buildings within the master plan of Cascina Merlata in Milan, the second one for the extension of the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara.
Labics’ activities are published on the major specialized international magazines, among which: A+U, Domus, Abitare, Ottagono, Architectural Record, Monument, Concept, AIT.
Labics research activity aims at an architecture capable of overcoming the status of a singular object, in favor of an architecture that becomes territory, background, structure.
Recently Labics has received the honorable mention for the contest of the Guggenheim Museum in Helsinki and the tourist Klekovaca Center of competition in Bosnia and has won the second prize in the international contest for the design of the station no. 11 for the Tabriz metro (2016). In 2017 Labics has won two major competitions: one for four residential buildings within the master plan of Cascina Merlata in Milan, the second one for the extension of the Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara.
Labics’ activities are published on the major specialized international magazines, among which: A+U, Domus, Abitare, Ottagono, Architectural Record, Monument, Concept, AIT.
