Fire Station Rio Bianco
Innovation & Regeneration
Regeneration and expansion of the Rio Bianco fire station. A project in dialogue with the existing realizes new living spaces to benefit the community.
Rio Bianco is an enchanting village in the Ahrntal Valley in South Tyrol. Nestled among the mountains, this alpine setting is characterized by typical farmsteads with a rustic style and architecture akin to rural culture. The project for the regeneration of the fire station settles within this context by combining contemporary essentiality with respect for the existing. A delicate yet recognizable approach made of old spaces reconfigured and new environments aimed at the community.
2024
Year
Rio Bianco (BZ)
Place
990 m2
Gross floor surface
1.800 m3
Cubage
2
Above ground
V. Falaschi
Photography
A reconfigured firehouse
The project signed by Busselli Scherer intervenes on the existing fire station, integrated into the volume afferent to the Rio Bianco House of Associations, reconfiguring the spaces in order to improve its logistics. The command room is reorganized, while the radio room is repositioned with a direct view of the outdoor maneuvering yard. The project adds a new vehicle exit enhancing the fire department’s response capacity. The locker rooms are also redesigned and equipped with new furniture.
New living spaces for the community
To meet the needs of residents, the intervention, in continuity with the firehouse, included the construction of a new volume housing different environments: a fitness room, a medical clinic, and a youth room. The expansion saw a contextual reconfiguration of the accesses, together with a reinterpretation of the movement flows related to the building. Thus was born a new landmark for the village, a multilevel plaza in which sports sessions, musical performances, youth gatherings and parties find space along with ordinary activities.
The context
The traditional reference context and the architectural pre-existence of the House of Associations, with its chromatic and stylistic notes, represented two important design challenges. The new fire station relates to these elements in a contemporary way by working on the neat lines of the volumes and on the material and chromatic choice of cladding and exterior finishes. The project incorporates dark brown for fixtures and doors in juxtaposition with a sober coloring of the plaster that dialogues with the colors of the existing architecture.