Chiesa Diruta Concert Hall | Yanniotis & Associates | Architects & Consulting Engineers | Architect of The Year Awards 2023

Yanniotis & Associates | Architects & Consulting Engineers: Winner of Architect of The Year Awards 2023. The Chiesa Diruta of SS Luca e Giuliano at Grottole is the ideal setting for the transformation of the ruined monument into a vibrant, cultural center that will serve as a landmark for the entire region. The core idea behind design is the creation of a “Temple” inside the original stone wall monument that floats 7 m above the ground floor level. This gesture frees the space of the main Temple floor, allowing people to visit the site and enjoy the breathtaking view over the Basento river valley.

UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Chiesa Diruta is a unique Renaissance church with an elliptical dome. Visitors enter the site through the fallen northwest stone wall corner and cross the outdoor seating area that lead to the weather protected foyer which is bounded by perimetric folded glazing doors. This space may be used as a secondary event venue during summertime or as art exhibitions. The two storey Municipal Library is located at the opposite side of the monument accessible from Via della Resistenza.

OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION:
The design consists of two separate functions, the Concert Hall and the Municipal Library, connected via a narrow path on the north side of the church. All circulations within the building are accessible through flush thresholds and ramps. The Gift Shop and the Bar are located to the south side of the transept. Two elevators located on the north, lead to the Concert Hall level, on the opposite side of which are the dressing rooms and an outdoor bridge path leading to the Tower’s Director Office.


PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION:
The project started in December 2020 and ended in March 2021. It is located in Grottole, a village perched on a hill in the countryside of Basilicata, the origins of which date back to the 12th century. It consists the Bureau’s proposal submitted in an International Architecture Competition Call, which requested to reuse the space of a ruined Renaissance church, known as Chiesa Diruta, as a Concert Hall.

PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY:
The main material used for the new building of the Concert Hall is a 60mm thick Polycarbonate Sheet Wall. The use of this material with its relative translucency, achieves a neutral integration of the modern Concert Hall building into the monumental Temple. When nighttime events take place, the floating volume of the Hall, reflects a gentle and warm light, which illuminates the surroundings, thus turning the Chiesa Diruta into a vibrant space that serves as a landmark for the region.


SPECIFICATIONS / DIMENSION / PACKAGE / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES:
The new development requires the design of spaces that intervene between the basic levels of the stone wall church. In order to differentiate the new building from the old monument, a reversible and flexible structure has been implemented. The primary and secondary supporting system of the polycarbonate sheet panels consist of a metallic grid connected to its aluminum casements. The floors of both the concert hall and library are covered by maple parquets, while the foyer floor by white marble. A membrane layer protects the subfloor of the church.

TAGS:
Monument, Concert Hall, Library, Renaissance Church

RESEARCH ABSTRACT:
The integration of the new Concert Hall and Library was derived after an in depth research of the Architecture history of Renaissance Temples. All roof constructions as well as the free standing boxes hosting certain functions (bar, tickets, tourist office, etc.)are covered with patina metal panels. The metallic elliptical beams that provide stiffness to the concert hall structure, along with the wooden interior cover, reflect the stone groin vaults predecessors.

Project Details
Firm
Yanniotis & Associates | Architects & Consulting Engineers

Architect
Constantinos Yanniotis

Project Name
Chiesa Diruta Concert Hall

Category
Architect of the Year

Project Location
Grottole, Italy

Team
Konstantinos Xanthopoulos, Architect

Country
Greece

Photography ©Credit
©Vassilis Symeonidis, Architect NTUA


Constantinos Yanniotis

The Yanniotis and Associates Bureau is an Internationally Awarded Architectural Firm that has completed a significant number of projects, of both small and large scale, in fields related to Residential Buildings, Office Spaces, buildings for Industrial, and Commercial use, Cultural Developments, Reformations and Restorations of Listed and Historical Buildings, Urban Planning, International Exposition Stands, Tourist Resorts, and Hotel Installations. The Bureau handled the Interior Design and Custom or Furniture Design of those spaces as well.

We offer Integrated Services that range from Preliminary Design to overall Site Supervision and Project Management, so as to guarantee a high quality deliverable for the client. We handle the studies as a whole in collaboration with a network of specialized associates varying from Site Planners, City Planners, Civil and Mechanical Engineers, to IT Managers and Experts. Our staff pride themselves on their excellence, their superior know-how, and their strict adherence to the concerns of our clients in every project, whether it is small or large-scale.

Facing towards the new challenges, the Bureau has expanded its provided services into the fields of Inclusive and Sustainable Design, which we consider to be of major importance nowadays. Integrated IT Services may also be introduced and incorporated to monitor Buildings and their users’ performance.