Inspiring elements of the new residential complex in Via Elsa have been the winding course of the river, the loops, the
embankments, the presence of trees and the old railway. The river, with its continuous movement gives to the place a dynamic image which the building itself tries to interpret complying with the nature and its course. In an architectonical view, the surrounding has inspired the idea of a ground floor on a few circular massive pilasters and three stairwells which have at the same time an anthropomorphic { the foot’s shape} and tectonic aspect. This structure who has the function to elevate the building in the air respects the sense of lightness of the place . The volume of the three floors of apartments has itself an organic shape; the balconies are like longitudinal cuts in the walls pointing out the horizontal development , so that they lose their characteristic of added elements and fit in an organic way mutating in shadow cuts which show the joint of the building. It is clear in this sense the rotation point of the two “wings” of the building, where the 90° edge is solved with one concave and one convex external space, transforming the balcony room in open space for the apartments. Balconies built with different materials change their aspect at the end parts of the building and point out the cuts on the walls . On the heads they are like tears that give volume to the building growing parallel to the river.
The massive aspect of the ground floor has to detach to the organic sensation of the elevating floors : the only point of contact is the anthropomorphic foot’s shape , symbol of a dynamic stability. The three circular volumes which are forming the attic eliminate the idea of a roof as closing part of the building.
So the covering becomes an open, living and green space and the pitches, sloping to permit the to light to come in from the windows, take a dynamic aspect.
2001
2004
