The "Ristorazione Sociale" Greenhouse | Luca Zanon

The “Ristorazione Sociale” Greenhouse is a multipurpose public facility within the Municipal Gardens for the elderly in the city of Alessandria.

The project was promoted by the "Coompany &" Social Cooperative, which has been operating for years in the social fabric of Alessandria in a concrete attempt to combine the combination of solidarity and the market through the employment of those who live in situations of poverty or hardship.

The building constitutes a new multifunctional center open to the public that, in addition to maintaining the classic function of a greenhouse by providing the dwelling of some tree species on the side parts of the building, is used to host debates, concerts, theatrical performances, workshops and events of various kinds.

The building is made up of 8 variable-size laminated wood portals that make up a "visual telescope" with an organic shape along the entire length of the building, that creates a continuous movement between inside and outside. The transparent parts are inserted between the various wooden portals, mainly fixed or opening windows depending on the area in which they exist, consisting of coupled glass panels that allow the permeability of light inside and a harmonious visual impact with the context.

The building pays particular attention to environmental aspects. In fact, the excellent energy efficiency of the structure should be underlined: if the greenhouse behaves climatically exactly like traditional greenhouses, accumulating and dispersing heat even through the opening and closing of the wooden pivot veils placed in the lateral parts of the building, only a mechanical ventilation system is foreseen, to allow users a pleasant liveability both in the summer and in the winter months.