A new
lease of life for
Le Terrazze

Le Terrazze, an innovative multifunctional centre located just outside the northern Italian city of Treviso, is the result of an intelligent project to redevelop the abandoned skeleton of an ecological monster.
Originally intended for use as a shopping centre, the reinforced concrete beam and column structure had remained unfinished since the late 1980s. The project had been blocked by the regional government following changes in local urban planning regulations and the situation was not resolved until the year 2000 with the approval of the integrated plan for urban and environmental regeneration. In 2002 the real estate company Idea Verde purchased the area and initiated procedures to launch the new project, which was awarded to the practice Studio Marco Piva.
Recovery of the old structure proved to be a full-scale urban redevelopment operation, which succeeded in integrating the new residential and service functions of the complex with the city and the environment.
The project for Le Terrazze includes a hotel, an auditorium, a spa, a restaurant, a shopping and craft centre, a children’s play area and library, a travel agency, shops, business premises and a bank.
The existing skeleton was incorporated into a sloping block building in which the terraces that gave “Le Terrazze” its name are formed from setbacks in the facades. The result is a large step-shaped volume where the multiplicity of functions integrates with the grid of the existing building’s rigid structural framework.
While the design choices were clearly influenced by the intended use of the old prefabricated structure, this did not limit the design philosophy. Intentionally multi-programmatic and diverse, it embraces tertiary activities, services and residential functions in an alternation of private, semi-public and collective areas.
The connections – from the vertical cylindrical towers clad with perforated metal plates to the walkways, the galleries, the spectacular steel and glass spiral staircase and the lifts – are light in visual impact and guarantee efficient distribution flows within the building.
A large central square interrupts the continuity of the terraces. This open space, an external courtyard accommodating the majority of the retail outlets of the complex, serves to illuminate the inside spaces.
The greenery, conceived as a design element for reducing environmental impact, dominates the roof gardens, balconies, windowsills, roof, external grounds and stairs.
The project for the complex was inspired by themes of transparency and opacity. This philosophy is reflected in the choice of cladding and finishing materials. Technical materials such as glass, steel, aluminium and teak harmonise with the products used for the interior, chosen on a custom basis from wood, marble, mosaic and Architech porcelain tile from Floor Gres. In keeping with the concept of the project, the tiles were chosen in the colours Bone (pale) and Forest (dark grey) and help promote a sense of harmony between the built and natural environments.