The new Chiesi Pharmaceutical Research Centre, designed by Emilio Faroldi Associati, is located north of Parma, not far from a motorway exit. The complex consists of built sections and open areas centred on the main building, which houses laboratories and offices. This main edifice has three wings around an atrium. The latter is the central point for all movement - both through and up - between buildings, as well as housing the utilities areas, meetings rooms, conferences rooms and various other places where people can gather. Cladding by Stahlbau Pichler is one of the key ways that the various volumes in the building are differentiated. The two sections housing the laboratories are compact, with a ventilated facade of reconstituted stone and box section aluminium panels. The strip windows resembling loopholes, the sunshade panels and the metallic soffits around some of the openings all give these facades a very horizontal appearance and lend a sense of confidentiality, mirroring the work done inside. This is in stark contrast to the office sections, where the exteriors have been designed to allow in as much light as possible to the workstations. Here, opaque and transparent sections alternate, with aluminium sunshades and metal canopies bringing additional features that help build further relations with the surrounding landscape. Light is an essential architectural element, with natural light used carefully to ensure comfort during daytime work hours and artificial light making the building clearly recognisable at night. The design of the research centre also focused on optimising heat exchange by using high performance materials for the envelope and on using passive energy generation systems to cater at least partially for the building’s energy requirement. Achieving these two aspects necessitated an orientation study, selecting low-maintenance materials and applying the latest technology. It was also important to optimise surface area and volumes to limit heat loss, especially through the thoughtful use of see-through elements. The architects and Stahlbau Pichler formed a successful partnership based on shared architectural and technological research. This was essential in this complex, multi-faceted project to design an iconic building that can leverage its strategic position at the entrance to Parma.
Stahlbau Pichler Via Edison, 15
I - 39100 Bolzano
Tel. +39 0471 065000
Fax +39 0471 065001
E-mail: info@stahlbaupichler.com
www.stahlbaupichler.com
