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Final design for the implementation of the temporary fit-out of the space inside Botti Shed B4
he real estate complex of the former Manifattura Tabacchi was built with post-war reconstruction between 1952 and 1960 based on the design of Engineer Pier Luigi Nervi, founding partner and structural designer of Impresa Nervi & Bartoli, winner of the competition announced for the design and construction of the new industrial complex.
After initial growth came a gradual reduction in activities, until 2008, when the Emilia-Romagna Region and the City of Bologna entered into a memorandum of understanding for the development of industrial research actions. An International Architectural Competition was announced in 2011, won by the design team led by GMP Architekten, which drew up the new master plan for the area, thus initiating the restoration and redevelopment of the complex by functional Lots, under the banner of sustainability, reduced land consumption and enhancement of historical-architectural identity.
Owned by the Emilia- Romagna Region, it now houses the headquarters of the new Tecnopolo of Bologna, a facility dedicated to the establishment and development of activities for research, a center for innovation and experimentation.
With the implementation of Lot 3, from 2021 the Botti Sheds named B1, B2 and B3, in addition to buildings L1 and L2 (all part of Lot 3.1), will house the Data Center of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), while work is underway inside B5 (Lot 4), which will house the CINECA-INFN Data Center.
From an architectural point of view, the complex built by Eng. Nervi constitutes a strong feature of the city’s skyline.
The Botti Shed named B4 covers, including access road and parking lots, an area of about 3900 square meters. Like the adjacent sheds, it has a size of 29×112 m and features a barrel-vaulted roof (maximum height about 11 m), consisting of a system of reinforced concrete ribs interspersed with concrete extrados arches arranged every 8 m.
In its current state, the shed is finished unfinished, completely empty and without any intended use. The east entrance side lacks a glazed façade, while the west façade, which faces the “Ballette” building, is enclosed by curtain walls and has two escape route exits.
The intervention is part of the Bologna Tecnopolo project, which aims to rehabilitate and functionally upgrade the real estate complex of the former Manifattura Tabacchi in Bologna.
Its implementation rightfully ranks high in the regional strategy.
This project aims to breathe new life into a currently unused building, creating new spaces for use and sharing.
The desire is to respect the overall design of the Tecnopolo and the original structure designed by Pier Luigi Nervi, adopting design solutions that go to enhance the existing, leaving the internal visibility of the Shed to be able to appreciate its elements. Since this is a building protected under Legislative Decree No. 42/2004, it is intended to contain the visual impact by ensuring the perception of the original building.
In fact, the design was developed in coherence with other interventions underway or already implemented in the Technopole area and, as Shed B4 is the subject of a future expansion of the ECMWF, it does not conflict with a future change of use. In this regard, the reversibility of the intervention is assured, in line with the temporary use of the pavilion.
The contracting station’s intention is, in fact, to use the space temporarily for office use and for the organization of conferences, events and exhibitions.
The architectural and plant engineering solutions adopted aim to contain energy consumption and construction and management costs as much as possible, aiming at energy savings and ensuring thermo-hygrometric and acoustic comfort, including through the possibility of recovering unused waste heat produced by CINECA.
Framing and activities to be performed
The subject of the assignment is the final level design for the temporary arrangement of the interior space in Botti Shed B4, which should include:
Similar to what has already been achieved for the neighboring B1, B2 and B3 buildings, office spaces should be designed with the “box in the box” principle and arranged to accommodate both ECMWF and CINECA.
The reversibility of the intervention must be ensured in anticipation of the future completion of the Technopole and the future expansion of the ECMWF Weather Center, which is also to be established within Shed B4.
Access to Botti Shed B4 is provided from the east front via two side entrances, as per the façade design under construction. Three functional areas are envisaged within the pavilion: the area to the east intended to house the offices and all the services attached to them, the central area intended for the delegation reception hall and exhibition set-up, and the area to the west intended to house the conference hall with related service areas.
The offices will be within a new volume, set against the east façade but detached from the existing structure, raised 45 cm by floating floor to allow the passage of exhaust systems. It can be accessed from the two side entrances, which are also the shed’s escape route, via two ramps that overcome the present height difference.
In the part furthest back from the facade, the office area is planned, thus taking advantage of natural lighting and ventilation. It is an open space environment, with 30 workstations, with the possibility of modulating the space through the presence of an opening wall, which allows the space to be divided into two rooms, in line with the requirements of having to accommodate two different entities, on the one hand the ECMWF Weather Center and on the other CINECA. Two ramps, at the façade, allow the central exit to be used as an escape route. Three meeting rooms of different sizes overlook this environment, characterized by glass walls that allow as much natural light as possible to be used. In the back part, however, there are areas for reception, waiting and relaxation, and restrooms, again serving the offices.
There will also be a technical room and an additional toilet block to serve all other functions, the entrances to which will always be from side streets. Placing them near the east area, where there is a sewer drain connection, allows the raised floor area to be limited.
Behind these rooms, also within the new volume but with independent access from the exhibition area at 0.00 cm elevation, a delegation reception room is planned that will accommodate up to 40 people. Inside are a central area with tables and LCD monitors, a side area equipped for the buffet, and another with lounge seating and phone booth. This room features a large window overlooking the exhibition area, allowing the Shed space to be appreciated from inside the room as well.
The side walls of this volume, at theopen officespace and the delegation reception room, are made with a stair-step profile that alternates opaque and transparent walls, with the intention of allowing more light and ensuring visual permeability between the interior of the rooms and the interior of the Shed.
The roof will be walkable and suitable for housing the indoor machines of the air conditioning system, appropriately shielded by a special volume and parapet. The presence of large skylights in the roof, at the waiting area of the offices and the delegation reception room, allows natural light to enter from the existing skylights of the hall and makes the special structure of its roof perceptible.
This volume of new construction will be built close to the east façade, similar to what has already been done in the adjacent warehouses, taking up their heights and colors, so as to create an intervention that fits coherently within the Bologna Technopole.
Opposite the glass window of the delegation reception hall is the exhibition space, which features a reception desk, a large central exhibition cube for video mapping , and, to the side, exhibition panels on which different projections may be reproduced depending on the exhibition. One important aspect is the use of technology: in fact, it is planned to install digital elements, which become a communication tool that reflects what is the intent of the Technopole, which aims to be a center for innovation and experimentation. Surrounding the cube, within which there is an additional exhibition room for more intimate and collected screenings, is a series of equipped areas, characterized by the presence of greenery, with lounge seating, benches and phone booths, single and double, for making calls or holding private meetings.
This exhibition area has natural zenithal lighting from the skylights in the Shed and is designed to make the most of all the space and to enjoy the view of the existing structure.
Continuing on, we arrive at the conference hall, featuring a large equipped space that can accommodate up to 318 people with a raised speaker area of about 80 cm. Here, too, natural lighting is provided by the existing skylights and visibility of the interior of the shed is ensured, as it is bounded only laterally by 4-m-high walls that optimize acoustic comfort. The back wall, which is higher than the others, forms a scenic backdrop that will serve as a support for the video projections, while the side walls will have smaller booster monitors. In addition, support rooms for the conference room are provided, such as: manned checkroom, control room, translation booths, dressing room, storage room and technical room.
The west facade features two existing openings that provide additional escape routes.
Both the exhibition space and the conference hall feature lattice structures, on which it will be possible to place the necessary audio, video and lighting systems.
All new construction elements will be made of materials and structures that can be easily disassembled, ensuring the reversibility of the intervention at the end of the temporary use of the building, in anticipation of a future change of use and completion of the Technopole.
On the roof of the Shed, similar to what has been done in buildings B1, B2 and B3, photovoltaic panels, which were part of other financing, and smoke evacuators will be installed. In the interior, however, the only planned interventions involve only surface cleaning and subsequent painting and the creation of an indirect lighting system also having an architectural function.
The entire intervention is designed with respect for people with disabilities and the provisions of the relevant regulations, ensuring accessibility and visitability of the building and its spaces.
The following structural works are planned for the setting up of Shed B4:
– Conference room area: tubular lattice structures are provided to support audiovisual equipment, floodlights and ductwork related to ventilation/air conditioning systems. The static scheme is that of frames in two directions hinged to the base made with Ø76.1 tubular bars 4mm thick for columns, Ø76.1 3mm thick for stringers, and Ø42.4 3mm thick for secondary rods.
– Exhibit space area: this area also includes tubular element lattice structures to support audiovisual and plant equipment. The static scheme is that of frames in two directions hinged to the base made with Ø76.1 3mm-thick tubing for columns and stringers and Ø42.4 3mm-thick tubing for secondary rods.
– Delegation reception area: the structures are represented by steel frames with a span of about 18m covering the rooms described above. The loads to which the structure is subjected are mainly represented by ductwork related to the mechanical systems and weights of the architectural package represented by layers of acoustic and thermal insulation. The static scheme is one-way main frames partially embedded at the base made with IPE550+IPE400 compound profile columns, IPE450 stringers and IPE270 secondary beams.
– Lobby/waiting area: the structure will be built in the frame type in both directions with HEA300 columns and HEA260 and HEA200 profile beams. Again, the loads bearing on the structure are represented by ductwork and plant equipment as well as the closing architectural package.
– Office/open space area: this is a similar structure to that of the delegations reception area but unlike it has larger beam profiles due to the greater loads it is subjected to. Specifically, the frame structure, with a span of about 18m, will bear the equipment loads of the mechanical plants with a total weight estimated at about 5960kg. The same, properly apportioned, results in a load of about 200kg/m2, which when added to the loads of the architectural package, remaining equipment and finishes leads to a total permanent load estimated at about 300kg/m2. The static scheme is one-way main frames partially embedded at the base made with IPE550+IPE400 compound profile columns, IPE550 stringers and IPE300 secondary beams.
The intervention concerns the renovation of a portion of the building called Botti Sheds B4, which covers a single ground floor divided into three macro-areas identified as follows:
This technical report covers the final design of the electrical and special systems provided in this design phase.
The specific requirements of the client were followed, who will have the opportunity to verify the contents and specifications both at this stage and in the execution phase.
In the project, a double low voltage delivery, separate and distinct from each other, has been provided by the supplier entity for a total of 180 Kwatts (two meters of 90 Kwatts each) located in special IP65 shell boxes located near the driveway entrance to the site.
The two supplies will be divided as follows:
The figure below shows the block diagram of the above.
Inside the technical room of the office area, in addition to the QGBT previously indicated, the Q.E.1 will be placed Office and exhibition area, and Q.E. CDZ2 ; while Q.E.2 Auditorium will be placed inside a technical room in the Auditorium area.
The main distribution will be made with metal conduits installed inside floating flooring (office area) and/or exposed (remaining part of the shed) and equipped with appropriate fittings; while the secondary distribution and disconnections to utilities will be made with rigid pvc piping and/or multi-compartment conduits.
A new grounding system consisting of several earth electrodes and different elements will be built and dedicated to intro shed B4.
The shed will have LED lighting, both interior and exterior, consisting of different types of light fixtures better identified in the project drawings, including a façade and vault lighting system of the shed aimed at ensuring a continuous lighting system with respect to the adjacent and already renovated sheds.
The whole building will then be equipped with the special facilities in particular will be made:
1) Fire detection system
2) Structured wiring system
The design choices, within the constraints of the type of temporary staging intervention, were based on the following basic criteria
The technopole houses two energy-intensive technology activities such as ECMW’s weather data center and CINECA’s Supercomputer, both of which have significant heat loads to dissipate and need for chilled water production. In both cases, the distribution subcenters for heat transfer fluids were set up with detachments to connect future heat recoveries.
After evaluations of the return temperatures of the cooling circuits, it was decided to design the air conditioning system of Botti Shed B4 with heat recovery from the CINECA temperate water return circuit manifold due to the design temperature of that circuit (46°C) in fact, the air conditioning system of B4, as far as heating is concerned, can in fact be supplied without generator (heat pump) intervention but only with the waste energy of the cooling circuit.
The parameters and technical data assumed as the basis for the design of the thermomechanical systems are given below. In general terms, air temperature, temperature of surrounding surfaces, humidity, air velocity, and air quality are the five factors that contribute to thermal comfort. The recommended parameters for optimal thermal comfort are:
– air temperature, between 20 and 21°C in winter and between 20 and 26°C in summer; relative humidity of air in the room should not fall below 30% in winter to avoid dryness problems and above 60% in summer climate;
– air speed (drafts and currents) should not exceed 0.2 m/s, in the exposure zone from head to knees;
– Amount of renewed air per room 30 to 50 cu m/h per person.
