An Agora for Learning in Puos d'Alpago

The evocative landscape of the Alpago Basin – a natural amphitheater ringed by the Carnic Prealps in the Italian province of Belluno – forms the backdrop for the new middle school in the small town of Puos d’Alpago. Designed by Facchinelli Daboit Saviane, the complex interprets the school as a civic hub dedicated to students but also open to the local community.

Investing in education to combat depopulation

The Puos d’Alpago middle school began with a design competition organized by the Alpago administration to combat depopulation through investment in education. Consequently, the project has closely reflected the local area and its demographic dynamics since its inception.

The winning design by Gianluca Facchinelli, Celeste Daboit, and Giada Saviane is a low-slung complex organized around a “covered plaza.”

The architectural concept draws on a quasi-primal settlement archetype: a volume suspended on four cores that act as “legs,” generating a covered space. This creates a direct continuity between interior and exterior, signaling the school’s role as a civic hub outside of class hours.

An agora for learning

Pigmented concrete cores housing service areas mark the perimeter of the agora. Here, different functions intermingle in a fluid workspace, animated by the wooden volumes of the reading room and reception. The site plan anchors on a tree-lined pedestrian axis that traverses the building, drawing greenery into the school through perimeter courtyards that illuminate the communal spaces.

Classrooms and workshops alternate across two levels around the agora, maintaining a constant connection with it through glass walls and sliding partitions. This visual permeability defines the complex, creating a layered interior landscape.

Form, structure, materials, light

The project achieves a coherence between form, structure, and material through a shell of exposed concrete panels. Made with advanced precast technology, this system requires no additional finishing, integrating both insulation and MEP services.

The design prioritizes natural light, which enters the building through expansive glazing, conical rooftop skylights, and concrete screens that reinterpret the brick latticework of vernacular barns.

Dark frames outline the generous glass surfaces, capturing the Alpine panorama like an artwork. The color palette further integrates the building into the landscape: the exterior’s muted brick tones complement the delicate interior finishes, where warm wood is paired with light, Venetian-style terrazzo flooring.

In the evening, as the school and civic center are illuminated, the building offers a respectful presence that enhances the landscape’s unique character.

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