Scuola media due Bellinzona

CICALA E FORMICA

La formica prepara il futuro – La cicala canta il presente

La formica è comunitaria – La cicala è individualista

La formica è lavoratrice – La cicala è artista

La formica è diligente – La cicala è spensierata

La formica è di casa – La cicala è di prato

The Scuola media due unites all uses in a compact building volume of 170 by 34 meters, lying in an east-west direction in the valley. With only 8.40 meters, the view of the landscape remains preserved. The building stands in the valley filled with the River Ticino and is well-founded in the terrain beneath the gymnasium and the technical rooms only. Through its orientation, it strengthens the urban structure of northern Bellinzona while at the same time resisting the traffic axes of river, highway, and railway. A place of calm, concentration, and lingering emerges.

The project Cicala e Formica provides three areas according to requirements. At the center lies the spacious entrance hall with auditorium, organization, and an autonomously accessed library. The eastern part accommodates the school’s operation: classrooms on the upper floor, special rooms, and administration on the ground floor. The western wing assigned to sports and recreation connects with the outdoor facilities along the Ticino. Light courts along the classroom wings, the auditorium, and the library create versatile exterior spaces and guarantee optimal daylight supply.

The classrooms are based on a grid of 2.60 meters. Built modularly, they allow flexible partitions across two floors. Daylight enters through the courts and the floor-to-ceiling window fronts. Larch timber frame constructions function as filters and preserve intimacy between the rooms. Shading and darkening realized by textile elements, while solar-control glass, glare protection, and mechanical ventilation ensure a good energy standard. Acoustics are balanced by ceiling and rear wall, with reflection deliberately retained in the teachers’ area.

The materialization also follows a raw, archaic approach. Prefabricated concrete elements contain granite and river stones from the Ticino, whose surface after washing recalls the unreinforced concrete of the Rustico’s. Poured asphalt with embedded granite granulate is ground and thus refers to the qualities of the primary elements. The wooden facades in the courtyards remain raw and are only matt impregnated.

Building services arranged in the basement on the north side, so that the main accesses run below ground. Cabinet elements in the anterooms of the classrooms serve both storage and the integration of conduits. This creates a clear separation between primary and secondary systems, promoting flexibility and adaptability. Media conduits routed above the cabinets and glazed ceiling closures with lighting elements also provide illumination of the corridors.

Client: Kanton Tessin

Planning: Rossetti+Wyss Architekten, Lüchinger Meyer Partner AG, Waldhauser Haustechnik AG, G. Bächli AG

Volume SIA 116: 52’200 m3

Competition: 2000, Prize