Heating Plant

When the municipal services company in Bressanone wanted to insert a new heating plant into a suburban area, they decided to combine its primary function with other activities that would make the structure an integral part of its natural context. And so a ramp to the roof of the plant was constructed, transforming it into a skating rink. The building envelope consists of a double metal cage of 2 different meshes, 50 centimetres apart. They prevent intrusions into the heating plant, protect skaters from falling off and create an acoustic barrier. Beyond these purely functional aspects, the mesh cladding also responds to a formal necessity: it dematerializes the building and creates a successful contrast with the heavy underlying mass of the ground level. In the area beneath the cage, LED lighting has been installed to produce a wide range of colours. The chromatic effect reproduced on the exterior will represent the energy-making processes taking place inside the building.