Sycamore is an architecture and interior design practice specializing in residential and commercial sectors. Our aim is to provide inspiration to conceive a project and care to deliver it.

Raniero Botti is the founder and CEO of Sycamore. He is a IT registered Architect having graduated from La Sapieza School of Architecture with commendation.

Sycamore Architecture
Via Luigi Rava, 19
00149 Roma

+39 06 5757470
info@sycamore.it

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The European Film Center CAMERIMAGE

Toruń,Poland

2018 - 2019

The area subject to intervention is an urban void in the center of the city of Torun, surrounded by cultural and museum buildings, and protected by a green park that separates it from the urban road network.

The new intervention will become a Film Center of European importance, as well as an urban enhancement model for social aggregation, aimed at the artistic and cultural exchange of each discipline involved.

Architecture is the first form of art that the proposed project reserves for all creative disciplines that will find their operational space, their maximum expression in this new "urban scene": pure interconnected volumes shape the geometries of internal and external spaces , giving life to a composition that manifests itself in the neighborhood in a progressive way, inspired by the spatial complexity of the Torun skyline.

The strength of the project is found conceptually in the relationship between solids and voids, in the clean forms that change in an unpredictable way, manifesting a creative nature, as in the entrance foyer of the Auditorium. The forms take on plastic essences and the geometric purity changes into sculptural complexity: the container becomes the pedestal of an architectural sculpture with a wooden shell which, with its 1300 seats, welcomes the viewer in a muffled atmosphere.

The external square is conceived as an element of union of the urban void with the new project in a skilful mediation of the new with the pre-existing: a new space is generated architecturally influenced by urban atmospheres of metaphysical representations.

The rhythm of the portico dialogues with the massive walls of the new center, in a unique system that acts as a backdrop to the main square. The intention is to create an architectural scenography that welcomes any social activity and favors the exchange of relationships.

The design of the external space is in line with the proposed architecture: the scanning of the floors, the design of the greenery, the trees, the seats, the body of water: elements that find their place and identify the metaphysical space as a model of reference for the entire project proposal.

Water, conceived as a mirror that confirms the participation of the portico in the external system and from which vertical jets rise that transform the element of water into decoration: a contemporary vision of the fountain, a typical presence in historic squares.

 The proposed project respects in size and distribution the requirements defined by the competition notice, through precise functional and aesthetic choices that enhance the entire architectural organism.

Auditorium

The auditorium is a building made up of three pure volumes connected to each other: the base, the central body and the scenic tower. The volumes are in direct connection with the support services but separated by a glass cover that enhances the presence of the sculptural base of the theater.

The interiors of the theater have a complex organic configuration, entirely covered in wood, guaranteeing correct acoustics for the single spectator.

From the central square, an important staircase, dedicated to the stage entrance of the actors from the Red carpet, reaches the first level of the theater.

 

Cinema rooms

The large portico that borders a part of the square to the right of the theater leads to the entrance to the three cinema halls, architecturally identified by volumes that are distinguished by size and height. The interior of the rooms is presented in a rigorous geometry and a contemporary design; here too the wall cladding and the false ceiling are designed to maximize acoustics, an important "scenic element" during projections.

 

Museum

Below the cinema halls (level -1) is the museum, which can be accessed via an important flight of steps. This staircase is an integral part of the planning of the square, and becomes an external cavea / auditorium for summer performances, with the possibility of creating mobile sets guided by a small scenic tower above.

The museum is also directly connected to the foyers of the entire complex by means of a staircase located under the arcade and adjacent to the store located under the same arcade.

 

Market

To the south of the lot is the Market, consisting of two rooms on the ground floor and a third room on the first floor. From a spatial and architectural point of view, it completes the seam between the new intervention and the existing Museum, also integrating with the expansion of the museum (planned for construction) both in terms of volume and in the choice of materials and finishes.

The two rooms (on the ground floor) will naturally receive light through a vertical glass window, a solution that allows maximum freedom for the purposes of the museum set-up. The natural lighting of the third room (on the first floor) is indirect: a precise design choice, optimal for the use of the works that will be placed inside.

The foyer of the Market, as requested in the competition announcement, is also connected to the other foyers of the new Cultural Center.

 

Educational Center

All the spaces required for the Educational Center were located in a building consisting of two floors whose entrance is adjacent to the entrance to the Market.

 

Study

The Studio consists of two levels and a large room. This volume is an element of closure to the south of the square and of dialogue with the existing buildings.

 

Parking

The new car park joins the two underground car parks of the Museum and Cultural Center, using the existing vehicle ramps and inserting a third access ramp in the project, located near the existing green park, reachable from the main road network.

The first underground level has a greater floor space than the second underground level, to allow medium-heavy vehicles to enter the two storage / warehouse rooms of the Studio and the Market.

The car park is served by a system of stairs and lifts, conveniently located, which guarantees direct access to all buildings of the Cultural Center.

Relationship with the green park

The green belt of the existing park has been placed in direct relationship with the project square through a porticoed path.

The green is also a matter of perimeter for the new square, as if it were part of an extension of the aforementioned park. The presence of trees and greenery can also be found in the internal patios of the buildings proposed in the project. The participation of greenery is confirmed as an element of union and qualification of the entire intervention.

Pedestrian and vehicular traffic

The new square is identified as the fulcrum between the new buildings and the existing buildings.

The entire area has an internal pedestrian system directly connected to the external pedestrian paths, and the cycle path is fully integrated. The vehicular system takes place completely outside, creating two distinct hierarchies. As can be seen from the project scheme, there are no moments of conflict between the two roads.

In front of the theater, the pedestrian traffic will accommodate major events, becoming exclusive access for the authorities and artists.

Materials

The buildings of the new Cultural Center as described are pure, massive volumes and have been designed, for a chromatic characterization with respect to the context, in white / gray brick: a material that matures over time and does not require maintenance.

The large interior spaces are treated with exposed white concrete, durable finishes that do not require scheduled maintenance and contribute to an economy of scale in the life of the building itself.

For all common areas and for most of the functions of the entire project, the flooring provided is in resin.

The design intention is to create spaces prepared for artistic expressions, like a blank canvas waiting for colors. The choice of finishes enhances the simple shapes, wisely shaped by natural light, sometimes from above, sometimes indirect, sometimes filtered by the internal courtyards and mitigated by greenery.

Low environmental impact

It is advisable to think about building respecting the environment, this is our philosophy. The most suitable systems to use are:

- vertical geothermal energy and heat pumps, which produce hot and cold combined with air treatment and purification systems;

- latest generation photovoltaic panels (positioned on flat roofs), as a renewable energy source to make the new Cultural Center self-sufficient, eliminating CO2 emissions into the atmosphere;

- low-impact lighting with long-lasting LEDs designed to optimize visual comfort and to shape the space by enhancing the project;

- collection of rainwater and conveyance into tanks with filtering and sanitizing systems, used for irrigation of greenery and for toilets, in order to minimize the consumption of water from the municipal aqueduct;

- the building envelope will be designed with specific insulation systems, using certified ecological materials, a careful analysis of the materials relating to the origin and the construction process, with the aim of adapting the building to the standards proposed by international sustainability assessment systems environmental, obtaining the most authoritative Green certifications.

The proposed architectural solution, punctuated by the archetypal geometry of spatial simplicity, has allowed us to rationalize and optimize the internal distribution of each single building, fully responding to the requests of the tender without under-using any space.

The organizational simplicity of the entire building organization brings with it the great advantage linked to the construction economy, while sustainability will improve the efficiency and life cycle of buildings, from planning to their future maintenance.

Projects

41°51'22.9"N

12°27'27.9"E

Rome

16°

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