Bergamo, Italy
Laboratory buildings very often are limited by stringent technical requirements that leave little room for environmental and aesthetics concerns. But the new Italcementi i.lab, the research and development center for Italcementi in Bergamo, Italy, has been designed aspiring to reflect the company’s position of leadership, technological advancement and commitment to research and innovation in the use of concrete.
The v-shaped building reinforces the boundaries of the triangular site and incorporates a program of technical and administrative spaces into two wings that surround a central courtyard. The “public” and “private” halves of the building hinge on a double-height entrance foyer, within which a long and elegant ramp allows circulation between floors.
The interior organization of the laboratory wing responds to the highly specific functional requirements of the program. A simple structural grid and a central circulation corridor allow efficient and flexible layouts for various sectors. The south wing houses conference rooms, a two-story multipurpose hall and a sky-lit board room that cantilevers over the first floor.
The building’s defining quality is daylight, with the roof of the structure forming a virtual fifth façade perforated with a system of skylights directing light into offices, circulation corridors, and laboratory spaces, and animating the interiors with the changing natural light. Daylight sensors control discreet shading devices to mitigate glare and heat gain, revealing the building’s technical intelligence.
An innovative high-strength, pollution-reducing reinforced concrete mixture was developed by Italcementi specifically for the building. This new concrete is used for the exterior skin facing the highway, the north screen, the curtain wall mullion system, and the precast wall and roof elements throughout the building. In addition to the white photocatalytic “smog-eating” concrete developed for the project, the building employs some of the most forward-thinking sustainable design features. Photovoltaic panels, solar panels and geothermal energy will provide remarkably high energy performance to meet all of the building’s heating and cooling requirements. The project aspires to be a benchmark of sustainable design in Europe and it has attained the first LEED Platinum accreditation in Italy.
The new Italcementi i.lab reflects the company’s “DNA” of tradition, innovation and sustainability. The building celebrates the 150-year-old company’s birthplace in Bergamo with innovative construction techniques, materials, natural light, and an apparent simplicity that challenges the traditional laboratory and office typologies.
欧洲首批获得 LEED 白金认证的建筑之一，以创新的设计、材料和施工来庆祝这家先驱公司 150 年的历史。
该研发中心的设计旨在反映公司在混凝土使用方面的领先地位、技术进步和对创新的承诺。该项目庆祝这家拥有 150 年历史的公司在贝加莫的诞生地，结合了大量的公共空间和景观美化，激活了该网站。建筑内部的定义质量是日光，结构的屋顶形成了一个虚拟的第五立面，天窗系统通过不断变化的自然光使室内充满活力。
该建筑的 V 形体量加强了三角形场地的边界，并将技术和行政空间规划纳入围绕中央庭院的两个翼楼。建筑的“公共”和“私人”两半取决于一个双层高的入口门厅，其中一条长而优雅的坡道允许楼层之间的流通。实验室翼楼的内部组织响应了该项目高度具体的功能要求，而简单的结构网格和中央流通走廊则为各个部门提供了高效灵活的布局。
Italcementi 专门为该建筑开发了一种创新的高强度、减少污染的钢筋混凝土混合物。这种专有的自清洁混凝土用于面向高速公路的外墙、北屏、幕墙竖框系统以及整个建筑的预制墙和屋顶元素，体现了公司对材料形式创新和可持续性的承诺。
