Login
Registered users
The large hall intended for paper production, scattered with circular concrete baths for pulping, contributed through its shape and spatiality to evoke the grandeur of the ancient monumental baths of Ancient Rome. The paper mill complex is part of the Ticino Park, in a green space in proximity of the waters of the river and at the entrance of the city of Vigevano, and its position on the summit of a ridge makes this complex a sort of city gate, which will be the first majestic building to be seen when coming from the new, not yet inaugurated, bridge on the river.
Located on the outskirts of Vigevano, at the entrance to the city from the river, the complex is characterized by its immersion in nature despite being just a few minutes away from the central and famous square that makes Vigevano internationally known. The dual function of the thermal and wellness complex and residential complex based on the senior living model perfectly resonates with the dual nature of its positioning, surrounded by greenery and close to the city center.
The attention to the environmental dimension was central to the development of the project, starting with the choice to restore the most picturesque part of the paper mill instead of entirely demolishing and rebuilding the already existing complex. The proximity of the Ticino River and its branching canals from its course have a dual value since it places the thermal function into a former industrial context where the reason of its origin was the presence of a body of water and, at the same time, these waters serve as a source of supply useful to the thermal activities and production of clean energy.
The project involves transforming a large, dismissed industrial complex, the paper mill in Vigevano, through the partial demolition and reconstruction of less significant portions of the complex and the restauration of the most important and picturesque portion of the buildings. The demolished portion will be replaced with protected residences modeled on senior living, while the preserved part will be converted into a thermal and wellness complex. The thermal facilities will be open to the public, which will include a large number of users extended to the city of Milan, only half an hour away. At the same time, the synergy of the wellness facilities, which include in the project halls for physiotherapy treatments as well, with the residences destined to the senior age group, represents a rational and original combination of functions. Increasingly, Western countries are making the condition and needs of the elderly a central focus, even in terms of real estate.
Quality and well-being are the key concepts of this project. The senior residences are characterized by the high required standards. At the same time, the thermal and wellness complex project aims to reaffirm the “aulic” dimension and to evoke the monumentality and spatiality of the ancient Roman thermal facilities, opposed to the contemporary tendency to relegate these functions to cramped underground areas which are completely disconnected from their surroundings, landscape and light.
Founded in 2013 as an architectural spin-off of a multidisciplinary design consortium, Upper West Architects is a Milan-based studio operating in Italy and in other countries. UWA develops its projects following integrated design principles, involving primary national and international engineering companies in the process. UWA operates through all the project phases but can also take charge of only some of them when necessary, aiming at offering its clients the service that is closest to their needs. Among the works which have been realized and which are currently underway are new constructions and restoration of private and public buildings, whereas amidst our clients are private investors and some of the most important real estate investment trusts, with interventions focused on retail, shopping centres, dining, offices, cultural spaces and luxury buildings.
