Marconi-Lévinas School Complex: A New Education Hub in Merano

W3RK’s design for the Marconi–Lévinas school complex won a two-stage design competition held by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano in 2013. The program called for a new facility to house two institutions: the “Guglielmo Marconi” Provincial Vocational School for Craft, Industry, and Trade and the “Emmanuel Lévinas” School for Social Professions.

Two new schools in Merano

The project is located in Merano’s Maia Bassa district, between the Adige and Passirio Rivers. Although now an integral part of the city, the area retains clear signs of its origins, including the imposing geometry of a former barracks and the axis of the racetrack. The site occupies the southern edge of the district along Via Scuderie, within a heterogeneous context where housing, industry, and infrastructure have become layered over time.

To establish clarity in this undefined fringe, the project employs a simple yet effective layout comprising two volumes flanking a small garden and a raised plaza. Minimalist in its expression, the architectural language uses a restrained yet focused use of materials. Concrete, glass, and metal define the volumetric hierarchy, spatial character, and the building’s relationship to its urban and landscape contexts. Three separate elements – a base, ribbon, and crown – structure the building, each serving a specific expressive role. The concrete base anchors the complex to the ground, while the glass ribbon introduces transparency and lightness to establish a visual connection with the city. Completing the composition, the upper volume is clad in zinc-titanium with a repeated modular pattern to bring unity and order to the facades.

Teaching spaces are distributed across the two buildings, which are linked by a shared first-floor level that opens onto the raised plaza overlooking Via Scuderie. This level houses the administrative offices for both schools along with shared amenities, including the library and a multipurpose hall. The tower (comprising one basement level and six aboveground stories) houses the “E. Lévinas” school, while the linear block (with one basement and four aboveground floors) contains the “G. Marconi” vocational school. Functionally organized by level, the layout situates workshops and machine shops within the podium, while electronics labs and classrooms occupy the upper stories. Rounding out the complex are a gymnasium and an underground parking garage with 19 spaces.

Educational flexibility and environmental sustainability

Inside the complex, classrooms are oriented to maximize natural light. Furnishings – including cabinets, sliding whiteboards, screens, and projection equipment – support a variety of layouts while providing the efficiency and flexibility needed to easily adapt the spaces for future needs. Tailored to hands-on learning, the workshops are designed around specific practical requirements, integrating specialized equipment with dedicated pathways to ensure the safe flow of both students and materials.

Despite their compact footprint, the landscaped outdoor spaces feature rows of trees to improve the microclimate and enhance environmental comfort. Serving as the focal point of the open space, the raised plaza extends the school’s functions outdoors, organizes site access, and provides a social hub for students and staff.

Prioritizing the conscious use of resources, the design addresses sustainability through passive architectural and compositional strategies. Engineered to minimize heat loss, the building envelope’s zinc-titanium cladding was selected for its durability, recyclability, and low maintenance. This approach earned the project CasaClima/KlimaHouse Gold certification for schools, making it one of the first public buildings in the Province of Bolzano to adopt Italy’s minimum environmental criteria scheme.

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