Close to Villa Ada, in the heart of the Parioli district in Rome, Alvisi Kirimoto with Studio Gemma has designed “The Dome” — a new hub surrounded by greenery for the LUISS Guido Carli University campus. The intervention, which completes the university spaces and enhances the surrounding green areas, has involved the demolition of an existing shed, subject to landscape constraints, construction from scratch, and the expansion of an educational building.

The hub, which develops over two levels, for a total area of 1.500 sqm, is positioned in the most accessible and picturesque point of the complex landscape, near a small wood located to the south of the lot, the last extension of the park and the campus main square.

The project stems from the idea of raising the volume to put it in direct connection with the treetops, freeing up the ground floor as much as possible. The latter houses the entrance, a classroom, and service areas, while the upper floor encompasses an amphitheater and two classrooms.

Surrounded by greenery and with its permeable and transparent skin, the building seems to dissolve into the landscape, evoking the classic tree house, from which it takes not only its outline but also the welcoming and almost “homely” dimension of the spaces, custom-designed for the students.

The interiors have been carefully designed to guarantee great versatility and host various educational activities, and cultural, artistic, and social events, from conferences to classroom lessons, from gala evenings to film screenings. The amphitheater – designed for multiple uses – and the classrooms, designed to redefine the balance between face-to-face teaching and remote learning, are equipped with sophisticated audiovisual conferencing systems that are perfectly integrated into the architecture.

A cross-flight staircase connects the two levels internally via a double-height space, while a third staircase connects the first floor with the outside. The ground floor, visibly set back, further underlines the lightness of the upper volume and creates a simultaneously open and covered space, equipped for courses and outdoor activities.

Clad in natural wood slats and glass, the upper floor projects the building into the treetops, creating a privileged dialogue between architecture and context, and offering a dynamic cross-section of the activities that take place inside.

LEED Status: Platinum 84/110

Location & Transportation: 15/16

Site Sustainability: 9/10

Water Management: 9/11

Energy & Atmosphere: 21/33

Materials & Resources: 7/13

Indoor Environmental Quality: 12/16

Design Innovation: 6/6

Regional Priority: 4/4

“The indissoluble link between the structure and the surrounding greenery signals an innovative approach to education which, to encourage learning, focuses on the well-being generated by the relationship with nature.”

– Massimo Alvisi

The colors, textures, and materials of the project were chosen with the same sensitivity: the shades of the metal cladding and the scratched plaster mix with the warm nuance of the wood, in a balanced game of references and contrasts. Inspired by sustainable design principles and made of natural materials, the building has earned the prestigious LEED Platinum Certification.

“The skin of the building facilitates immersion into the landscape and fosters exchange among the entire student community.”

– Massimo Alvisi

Architects: Massimo Alvisi, Junko Kirimoto (Alvisi Kirimoto), Cristiano Gemma (Studio Gemma)

Project Team:

Alvisi Kirimoto: Vasiliki Maltezaki, Chiara Quadraccia, Daniel Costa Garriga

Studio Gemma: Alessandro Speranza, Federica Vola

Consultants:

Structures: INGE.CO srl

Installations: Planex srl

LEED Certification: Habitech Distretto Tecnologico Trentino Scarl

Acoustic: Engineer Andreas Hoischen

Cost management: Engineer Gianluca Gangemi