Renzo Piano Building Workshop

Twenty kilometers from Genoa, in an enclave overlooking the Mediterranean that is only accessible by funicular railway, Renzo Piano designed his third architecture studio, to accompany those in Paris and Berlin.  Punta Nave is a veritable laboratory for investigating the structural applications of materials drawn from nature. 

Set between sea and mountain, the building evokes a mix of local architectures: the agricultural greenhouses and the color of terracotta buildings typical in the Liguria region. 

Thus, the load-bearing walls - in rustic stone, rubblework and pink stucco - and the transparent roof - made of wood sheeting with photosensitive skylights which allow one to work permanently in natural light - coexist with slim steel pillars and curtain walls.

The construction has five fragmented levels which are stepped in terraces extending along the slope. The studio is erected next to a one-time barn, rehabilitated as a residence for visitors. One reaches the house via an external staircase, while an internal staircase links the different levels of the studio. Both the barn and the new spaces located opposite it. Fitted out as study and meeting areas, open onto a terrace with views of the sea and the port of Genoa.

Sources: Renzo Piano - Sustainable Architectures & Renzo Piano Building Workshop Web Page