Sempione A.V.T. Parking Lot

By Editorial Staff - 2 September 2022
Kme has participated in the project

This multi-story car park in Varese on Via Sempione was designed and built on the basis of practicality and sustainability that integrates into the local esthetic to provide over 300 car parking spaces only a short distance from the city center.
For residents and tourists, this really facilitates visiting the center. The design not only included developing the surrounding pedestrian precincts, lawn areas and some covered spaces where people can meet, but also ensuring the necessary architectural solutions to guarantee accessibility for people with disabilities and families with children. As mentioned, building a structure that respects the local urban landscape was a priority, both to limit its visual impact and as part of a broader effort to seamlessly fit in the context.

Parcheggio Sempione A.V.T. © Piermario Ruggeri, courtesy KME

The use of KME’s products for the three volumes of the parking lot – the multi-floor facility, the ramp, the utilities and office building – was fundamental in achieving this as the company’s solution offered both the desired esthetic quality and the necessary durability. The company specializes in copper products and for the multi-floor structure, which is the largest element and has a modular design, TECU^® Patina_Oslo_bond panels were chosen to clad the façade. This green copper turns the building into an almost sculpted landmark, with its irregular shapes even evident from the inside. The unusual spacing of solids and voids actually works to optimize ventilation, while the lighting at night helps emphasize the texture. The chosen panels – the next generation of the older TECU^® Patina – are extremely rigid and impact resistant. The green copper is completely recyclable and also has antibacterial and antiviral properties. The base of the main parking lot building is adorned with niches that are meant to be “canvases” for street art.