Residential Building on Via Romea, Ravenna

This redevelopment project by Stefano Focaccia Architetti stands on the corner of Via Romea and Via Crocetta, a short distance from central Ravenna. The work involved demolishing a disused industrial building and constructing a new residential building with seven housing units.

The design team set out to create a building with a strong identity that, while a distinctly contemporary departure from the surrounding traditional urban fabric, is also respectful of it.

A dynamic building with outdoor rooms

Occupying three above-ground levels, the building contains seven apartments: two on the first floor with independent access and private courtyards; three on the second floor with a central common stairway and elevator; and two larger units on the third floor.

At the first‑floor level, three private garages are at the rear of the building. Together with four outdoor parking spaces accessed from Via Crocetta, a secondary street, they satisfy the required on-site private‑parking standard. While complying with local zoning limits and the site’s allowable massing, the design team produced a building with a clear aesthetic identity.

Lower than the surrounding dense urban fabric, the compact volume is articulated by sheltered loggias that limit overlooking. Staggered loggias break up the elevations and give the architecture dynamism and originality. The volume is carved out at the corners in varied ways, creating outdoor rooms that extend the living rooms and bedrooms.

Contemporary materials and abstract surfaces

A palette of contemporary materials gives the façades an abstract appearance. Beige aluminum and glass balustrades establish a sense of coplanarity through a compositional interplay among the full‑height windows, their folding gray-beige shutters, and white plaster.

The composition of the material-driven façades reflects the different floor plans inside on the public face through a flexible, variable design language. Alternating colored aluminum and white plaster produces a cohesive overall appearance while avoiding repetition.

>>> Discover the contemporary lofts at the Darsena of Ravenna