The new infant school complex inaugurated in Ravenna in October comprises a nursery school and kindergarten for a total of 200 children.
The competition held by the Ravenna city council was won by practice Giancarlo De Carlo e Associati that here has combined tradition and innovation, simplicity of spatial distribution and variegated composition.
While the building takes its cue from the local architecture, fitting in with the surrounding urban scale, materials and building techniques, it nonetheless stands out thanks to its huge undulated roof. Gently resting on the building, this dynamic architectural element resembles both a warm protective blanket and gentle waves of the nearby Adriatic sea.
Divided into nine different volumes, the complex occupies about
4200 sq m. The roof comprises double-seamed Prefa aluminium sheets. Although lightweight, the sheets are designed to withstand high loads and harsh freeze-thaw cycles. A double seaming technique affords secure linear joins both along flat roof surfaces and at tricky junctions. These 560 mm wide flexible sheets can be easily combined in a variety of patterns on roofs with pitches of up to 5%. The roof package comprises nine layers to meet all technical, insulating and aesthetic requirements. The under-roof deck is made from spruce strips.
Holzbau has provided a laminated-wood frame for most of the construction comprising variously spaced rafters and joists that either slot into recesses or rest on top of the rafters. Two of the volumes stand out for their more complicated wood and steel truss roof design. In addition, the curved playroom is topped by a roof whose narrow radius reaches down to the ground, creating a continuum between roof and façade.
The overall simplicity of the different volumes making up the complex is offset by a certain compositional complexity. Individual volumes are variously arranged: side-by-side, meshing one into the other or distinctly separate. The result is a complex working unit where inside and outdoor spaces have the same organisational value. Closed areas can be completely opened up to include the garden as part of the living space.
Another feature providing unity to the project is the laminated wooden pedestrian bridge. The structure is by Holzbau while the protective aluminium canopy is by Prefa. It stretches approximately 22 metres and links the infant school to the adjacent residential area.

PREFA
Via Negrelli, 23
I - 39100 Bolzano (BZ)
Tel. +39 0471 068680 Fax +39 0471 068690
E-mail: [email protected]
www.prefarch.com
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