Bocconi

Using stone materials to increase resistance does not necessarily mean weighing down the construction elements - the walls of the new lecture theater, like the excavation of rock, break away from the ground thanks to the assembly of alveolar aluminum panels with thin, large-format slabs. The rectangular cuts, of little more than 2 meters across at most, are reduced to only 5 millimeters thick, stuck to the metal support with special glue. The geometry of each element in the theater is clean and linear. Identical seats close up on themselves with precision, creating uninterrupted spaces. There are two color tones present in the theater thanks to several rust-colored elements, suggesting patches of iron oxidation trapped inside million-year-old stone cave blocks. Gray is clearly and undeniably the predominant color here. The shades of the Pietra Serena are immediately combined with the standardized colors of the stoneware in the paving and of the dyes in the plastered parts of the walls and ceilings. It is precisely this stability in the color scheme, and the absence of any element contrasting in color in this chemical-physical composition, that allow the Pietra Serena to be combined with a multitude of different materials, both natural and man-made, even the most unlikely. The floor surfaces are reminiscent of Brazilian Bateig Azul limestone. Both these stones, real and reconstructed, are used alongside the stone that is so often present on exterior facings - Ceppo di Gré, which comes from the area surrounding Lake Iseo, and is typical of much of the architecture in Milan. This is how the idea of a solid stone shell comes together, represented either on the exterior towards the city streets, or in the interior towards the heart of the new university facilities. The thousand seats are arranged on two levels, both organized in one band that is closer to the stage and another that is slightly further away. The new theater is equipped with theatrical instrumentation, with a fly tower and computerized movements of the stage.