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Built within the former Bertarini Barracks, the new regional headquarters of Italy’s finance police revitalizes a neglected area of the city
The architectural panorama of Bologna has been enriched by this project by Treviso studio Demogo for the new regional headquarters of the Guardia di Finanza, that is, the Italian finance police. Established in 2007 by Simone Gobbo, Alberto Mottola, and Davide De Marchi specifically for this urban regeneration project, Demogo has breathed new life into a marginal area of the city, opening it up to a whole new set of interactions and relationships.
Location: Bologna, Italy
Completion: 2024
Site Area: 5.000 m2
Building Area: 2700 m2
Client: Agenzia del Demanio
Architect: Demogo
Project Management, Structures and MEP: Sinergo
Main Contractor: AeC Costruzioni
Doors and Windows: Schüco
Photgraphy by Iwan Baan, courtesy of Demogo
The building, located inside the historic Bertarini Barracks, forms part of a complex urban context, characterized by a variety of similar elements and a whole series of divisions. To the north, Bologna’s high-speed rail station and rail lines create a major barrier. To the south, Bologna’s DumBO multifunctional urban district, built on the site of a former freight yard, continues to evolve. To the east are Via Tanari and the edge city of Bologna.
The redevelopment of the former Bertarini Barracks is part of a broader program for the regeneration of disused urban areas that Italy’s State Property Agency is rolling out throughout the country. In Bologna, the program includes projects like the creation of a park, Parco della Giustizia, on the site of the former Staveco military complex, and student accommodation in areas occupied by the former Stamoto and Perotti barracks.
Located within the Bertarini Barracks, the new headquarters was constructed after the demolition of a number of buildings and is connected to the existing building via a skybridge. Designed for up to 120 staff and built parallel to Via Tiarini, the volume stands out for its five stepped levels, used to create terraced gardens, which overlook the old city center on one side and Bologna’s hinterland on the other.
These green spaces not only offer employees a chance to step outside during breaks, but also help create a link between the internal and external environments, and a connection with the surrounding urban landscape. A key to the project is its dynamic form, intended to make the building part of the city’s life, and vice versa, despite its location in what was formerly a military area off limits to the public.
The façade features a modular pattern formed by cladding with red tones, a reference to the characteristic colors of the city of Bologna that also creates a visual harmony with the surroundings. At the entrance to the barracks is an imposing staircase, which, set within a large frame of beams and pillars, traverses the entire building, becoming a unifying element that visually connects all the floors, an effect underscored by the large terraces.
Wrapped in exposed concrete surfaces, the interiors alternate between offices that provide a certain level of privacy for the operational sections, and breakout spaces.
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