VIA ROSSINI, CAGLIARI

The city of Cagliari is characterized by strong environmental and landscape components.
Historically, it developed along the hills, near the coast, following a settlement pattern that led to the creation of blocks mainly made up of terraced residential buildings. These rows of buildings serve to resolve the area's slopes and hillsides while also engaging with the complex coastal system.

In the 1930s, following the economic recovery that affected all of Italy, Cagliari underwent its first major urban expansion through a development plan that led to the creation of the San Benedetto neighborhood, located to the east of the historic district of Villanova.
Unlike the historic neighborhoods situated near the sea and the city's hill systems, San Benedetto lies on flat land and is influenced by the large urban plans of the late 19th century. It features wide boulevards that radiate from San Benedetto Square, connecting all the blocks of the area with each other and with the rest of the city.
Among the major urban thoroughfares, Via Dante Alighieri stands out as the only tree-lined boulevard in the neighborhood, becoming one of the city’s main commercial and social gathering streets.

The neighborhood is characterized by five- to six-story buildings constructed at the edge of the street, saturating the landscape. These buildings are interspersed with paved squares and public areas. Despite being mainly residential, the neighborhood lacks accessible public green spaces for residents.

The Urban Revolution project is located within a consolidated urban area near Via Dante Alighieri and San Benedetto Square, the key hubs of the entire district.
The intervention site, situated primarily within an urban block, was completely occupied by a group of service buildings attached to the internal boundary wall, along with a central industrial-craft building lacking architectural value.

The first design intervention was the demolition of all existing structures within the site, restoring the original urban void and preparing the space for the new residential building.
Next, a deliberate decision was made to challenge the area’s status quo by breaking the visual and construction monotony resulting from the strict alignment of buildings along the street. The new structure was instead shifted toward the rear of the lot, maintaining the minimum setback from the boundary as allowed by regulations.

This design gesture shifted the open space toward the street, introducing new compositional perspectives and design opportunities.
Opening a breach in the built-up street front created a new urban area—a transitional zone between the building and the public street—providing a landscaped green space for the block and thus mitigating the shortcomings of the neighborhood.

This new urban micro-park addresses the needs of modern life, reestablishing the human connection to nature within the city and offering a safe space for social interaction.
The building itself aligns in size and height with the surrounding structures. It consists of five floors above ground plus a penthouse with a rooftop terrace featuring a large private pool.

Each standard floor includes three large apartments: two with living areas facing the park and bedrooms at the back, and one entirely overlooking the rear.
The project is characterized by strong, essential horizontal lines that visually soften the building’s mass through perspective play.

Four key elements define the project’s layout: structural walls, glass facades, terraces, and the brise-soleil.
The structural walls serve as space generators and organizers. Their solidity creates an opaque curtain that protects the interior spaces. Through a series of shifts and offsets, they form a geometric motif that plays with light and shadow, enriching the entire design.

Glass facades define the side facing the new public space. Their placement on the living area side allows the interior units to open up to the new urban space, establishing a dialogue and connection between private and public realms.

Large terraces, varying in size according to the adjoining interior spaces, wrap around the building, providing private outdoor areas essential in an urban context. They also serve as a transitional zone between the public exterior and private interior.
Thanks to their visually impactful finish and integrated LED lighting along every edge, the terraces serve as a defining feature of the entire building.

The brise-soleil, introduced to shield interior spaces from intense summer sunlight, plays such a significant role that it becomes the design’s central motif. With a dark metallic finish, it envelops all the building’s terraces, connecting the front and rear and offering a cohesive reading of the structure. It also creates a striking contrast with the bright tiled walls of the residential units.