laRinascente
department store
Florence, Italy
7200 sqm
1+1=1 presents this challenging project for LaRinascente in Florence.
It is a complete refurbishment and an extension on the top of the roof of Palazzo del Trianon, an 19th century building facing Piazza della Repubblica, a square in Florence city centre.
Piazza della Repubblica used to be dedicated to culture and commerce, this new project aims to re-establish this tradition through a building hosting a department store at international standard that is, at the same time, a public space for cultural events.
The overall project intention is for the Renaissance capital to have the courage to be innovative again.
The new extension is conceived as a symbol of strength, the square, and of lightness, the detail of the Archangel’s wing in Filippo Lippi’s painting the Annunciation which inspired the window design.
Visually, the new extension is floating above Palazzo del Trianon while preserving its authentic architectural structure.
The new configuration marks the synergy between the volume symmetry of the existing 19th Century building, which is deeply rooted to the ground, and the tension towards the sky of the new contemporary building.
The lightness becomes more perceptible through the materials of the new construction that has a metallic structure and is very easy to assemble and disassemble; it is rounded off with plaster and lime, an ancient material which intentionally conveys a sense of immaculacy.
credits
Claudio Silvestrin and Giuliana Salmaso with Charlotte Borghmans, Francesco Muto, Stefania Odelli, Silvia Sola, Mariachiara Suriani
