Energy Roof Perugia

The new glass gallery along Via Mazzini in the center of Perugia covered by the Energy Roof creates the entry point to the archaeological underground passage that connects the city center with the mini metro station Pincetto. The roof design is driven by the generation of energy for the city. While the orientation of the west wing is optimized in relation to solar radiation, the east wing captures wind. The structure, formed like a rotor blade, is 80 m long and at measures 16 meters at its widest part at the ends – yet is only supported by a single tripod in the middle. The roof itself consists of 3 layers: the energy generating top layer, the structural layer in the middle and a layer on the bottom as a combination of laminated glazing and translucent pneumatic cushions. The top layer includes transparent photovoltaic cells to generate electricity and shade the sun. The orientation of the individual cells is generated and optimized by a computer driven scripting program. Furthermore, 5 wind turbines that are placed inside the structural layer are generating additional energy.