NOI Techpark D2,
where light is a material in its own right
South Tyrol’s innovation district is a place where everything seems possible. On a twelve-hectare site in Bolzano that used to house an Alumix factory, you will now find companies that look like they have come from the future. These include terraXcube, a centre for simulating extreme climates, as well as cutting-edge laboratories and experimental hubs focusing on robotics, AI, sustainability, food and healthcare, and much more besides.
And it is here, amongst renovated buildings and new plots under development, that the architects from Busselli Scherer have brought the D2 project into being. Boasting an iridescent façade that takes sunlight and transforms it into an architectural material, this mixed-use building will be dedicated to research into the future of food.
“We wanted to create a building that was as bright as the idea of knowledge itself, something that was capable of interacting with nature and people thanks to a special system of slats on the façade. This is what helps make it unique.”
Roberto Busselli
When he talks about D2, Roberto Busselli – founding partner of the Busselli Scherer firm of architects – invariably starts with the façades, which were created in collaboration with PICHLER projects. The building’s most striking feature, they form a frame that welcomes researchers as they arrive at NOI Techpark every morning for work.
The design for plot D2 complies with a strict master plan, which imposes height restrictions and specifies alignments and certain materials for the façades. Despite these constraints, the designers wanted to give the building a strong sense of identity, and the technical and stylistic properties of aluminium made it the perfect material to do just that.
Fitted with angled extruded-metal profiles that change with the light, D2’s north and south façades turn different colours depending on the angle and intensity of the sunlight. Thus the building marks the passage of time, forging a continuous yet ever-changing relationship with light in the process.
This dynamic is created by the slats, which were designed and engineered in line with a precise set of criteria. A number of magnificent anodised extruded aluminium profiles were tailor-made for the occasion. The design showcases the slat as a valuable, strong and stylish component that enriches the building with its own unmistakable identity.
“The expertise that PICHLER projects brought to the table allowed us to turn an ambitious architectural idea into reality. D2’s façade is a high-impact structure that combines aesthetic appeal with high-performance engineering. In this project, the prototyping done for the slats and the assembly system proved a massive help.”
Roberto Busselli
Working with the engineers from PICHLER projects, it was possible to customise every single aspect of the slats and the façade, including in terms of technology. These ranged from resistance to wind and other oscillating forces through to waterproofing and specifying what systems to use to drain rainwater – from the drawing board to the finished product, in other words. Everything hinged on a major team effort in which designers collaborated closely with engineers.
“We worked hand in glove with PICHLER, pursuing a common goal, and are proud to be able to share this result that has ended up exceeding our expectations.”
Roberto Busselli
