4.7.2012 – Issue 4 - Cinema – Concheiro Isabel – Studio

ICEBERG STRATEGY

Student: Till Thomschke

Locarno's public park in the city centre is one of its main open spaces, establishing a relationship on one hand, between the old town and the XIXth century city extension in the Maggia's delta and on the other, between the Lago Maiore and the Piazza Grande, the main location of the Locarno Film festival.

The project adopts in this site what might be called an iceberg strategy. The black boxes of the cinemas are located underground whilst a small volume hosting the public functions is located above. The intention is to minimize the building footprint on the site, creating a new public space with a double character. In front of the building, a public square connected with the Piazza Grande and defining the entrance to the Cineteca. On the rear side, a more protected space, an open air cinema in a garden, keeping the existing trees on the backside of the plot and using the rear façade of the building as a cinema screen.

The ground floor is transparent, allowing the connection between the two public spaces and the access to the cinemas and the public facilities in the upper levels of the light volume. Different strategies are develop to strength the lightness of this volume. First, the structural frame is supported by the rear walls, minimizing the presence of supports on the ground floor and increasing the idea of the floating volume. Second, the envelop made out of perforated zinc and the spatial connection between the different floors, gives an unity to the volume both inside and outside. Third, the shape of the building reduces its scale towards the main façade and creates a cantilever that welcome the visitors to the new Cineteca of Locarno