Gorizia University – Luca Sabbadini

Gorizia University
with Elisa Minisini, Amedeo Plazzotta and Piergiovanni Sorato

The project envisions a university campus (starting from 10,000 students), in the area of the former Gorizia airfield. We started from the analysis of different existing universities, noting an almost-absent spaces’ flexibility, resulting in their disuse during the most hours of the day. Hence the desire to create a body composed of a succession of flexible spaces (that accept the majority of the activities) that flows around the functional cores, which hosts functions that need their own spaces (eg. kitchens, restrooms,

laboratories…). These undetermined spaces became the “passerelle” (walkways), born from the study of the activities that any student makes during the day, their rising and falling depends on their “activation state” in a certain time of the day (symbolized by the entire ring). Such symbolism leaded us to split the ring in four main functional areas: management, study, recreational + cultural activities and living (reside). In this circuit are later inserted the volumes that hosts the functional cores, which are integrated to the basic structure by glass enclosures. This system therefore creates a permeable membrane that has the purpose to protect the vacuum (often overlooked element which constitutes considerable value) in its interior. The vacuum is activated by 5 pavilions of which we only indicate the volume and the functions that are going to be hosted. The ring is integrated with the surrounding area by the portals that indicates to the visitor, the presence of paths or areas of particular interest. The theme of flexibility comes back with the possibility for the structure (composed of a matrix to which the modules are hooked) to be extended depending on the needs.