Bevagna School Complex

Centrally positioned between the historical centre and the area of expansion, the new school is an integrated organism. At the same time it was designed to be recognisable, a landmark in an urban hub where public space is used to reimagine the concept of education.

This project confronts the landscape through simple, context-related geometries, an attention to proportions and the use of local materials. Designed to recall the dynamic space of the history and construction of Piazza Filippo Silvestri – the heart of the historical centre of Bevagna – these geometries create a succession of volumes in space, composed to establish a continuity between interior and exterior.

With its perspectivally inspired theatrical space, devoid of frontal geometries and orthogonal axes, Piazza Filippo Silvestri is the formal and functional inspiration behind the concept.

The variably oriented volumes of the school are arranged along the perimeter of the large open central space, transforming it into a true piazza, a space of encounter ringed by spaces for learning. They are interspersed by spaces of transition, created with the twofold function of physically separating the various schools into distinct blocks and, at the same time, allowing views to extend beyond the buildings, toward the countryside.

All of the schools are two stories in height, with the sole exception of the nursery school.

A large horizontal plane connects the various pavilions to unify the complex. Projecting elements and porticoes emphasise the entrance and create pleasant covered paths.

The new Santa Anna school also hosts activities and services open to the entire local community, to be enjoyed by students and parents also outside of regular school hours. These complementary facilities (library atriums, auditorium, gym and outdoor playing fields, a technological island, etc.) facilitate shared day-to-day experiences and group activities.