Address: Via Gavazzeni 29 – Bergamo (BG)

By:

• structures designed by: Pizzigoni Giuseppe
• structures designed by: Rocca Alfredo
• construction: Cattaneo Emilio e figli

Timeline:

• design: 1953 – 1958
• construction: 1953 – 1958
• reference date: 1953 – 1958

Client: Provveditorato regionale OO.PP.

Abstract:

An example of rational architecture serving technical education, the Institute’s headquarters on Via Gavazzeni represents one of Giuseppe Pizzigoni’s most significant works from his mature design career. The building stands on a site formerly occupied by the Esperia automobile factory, of which the architect chose to retain part of the original structures: the shed-style warehouses were integrated into the new complex and converted into laboratories. This existing core is complemented by an L-shaped building, structured across three floors above ground and a basement, which subtly reinterprets the site’s industrial heritage.

The main façade, over 130 meters long, overlooks Via Gavazzeni with a rigorously clear construction language. The reinforced concrete frame sets the pace for the entire elevation, where recessed infill walls and large, floor-to-ceiling windows create a balance between mass and transparency. The cladding in Ceppo di Brembate, a rough, local material, anchors the building to the landscape, while the modular design projects the rational order governing the internal layout of classrooms and offices.

The expansion project, completed between 1962 and 1966, with the construction of the volume intended to house the assembly hall, fits coherently with the original design, confirming the building’s vocation for growth through controlled additions. Subsequent transformations—from window and door replacements to regulatory compliance—have not, however, altered the project’s readability, which continues to demonstrate Pizzigoni’s ability to combine functionality, constructive restraint, and a civic sense of architecture.