Palestra Gianni de Faveri
The new Gianni de Faveri gym replaces the previous school sports building as part of the seismic retrofit of the Biadene school, at the foot of the Montello hill. The project keeps the building's original footprint to preserve the school garden, but completely redefines its relationship with the surrounding context: the closed volume of the old structure is replaced by an architecture that opens toward the Canale del Bosco and the Strada del Bosco, engaging directly with the school's outdoor spaces and the landscape.
The compact volume, sized around the playing court and the three spectator tiers, is perforated by openings calibrated to orientation and outlook. To the south, the main façade facing the street, the spectators' entrance is sheltered by a canopy that marks the access and provides solar shading. To the west, facing the parking area, the façade remains introverted, with an upper glazed band ensuring proper natural lighting and ventilation, and acid-etched glass only at the corners, dematerializing the base of the volume. To the north, facing the beach volleyball court and the Canale del Bosco, the building is at its most open and transparent, turned toward the greenest part of the site. To the east, the changing-room block — the same height as the school's wings — mediates between the gym's taller volume and the lower scale of the school complex, connecting to it through a new courtyard.
The elevations are divided horizontally into base, mid-band, and top, following a module derived from the spacing of the emergency doors. The moss-green painted aluminum cladding relates to the surrounding vegetation, while dark brown mullions form a regular grid that marks the façade and reinforces its modular character. The alternation of clear and acid-etched glass balances visual connection to the outside with an even, diffused light across the court.
