MoDusArchitects completed the renovation of Cusanus Academy located in Bressanone, South Tyrol, Italy making an addition to Haupthaus, namely the Main Building of the complex originally designed by the locally renowned architect Othmar Barth, creating a shifting narrative between the old and the new that confounds the boundary between the two, offering the Academy a contemporary and timeless architecture.

-text by the authors

AERIAL VIEW ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
HAUPTHAUS MAIN ENTRANCE FROM VIA DEL SEMINARIO ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
HAUPTHAUS EAST VIEW ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

In Bressanone, South Tyrol, Italy, MoDusArchitects adopts a subtle design strategy for the renovation of, and addition to the Cusanus Academy, a center of learning dedicated to the exchange of ideas at the intersection of the religious and secular worlds. For the purpose of better engaging the Academy with the city, the project tackles the heterogeneous ensemble of seminar venues and guest accommodations with a spectrum of interventions—mimetic to overtly new—that form a more organically connected complex that invites the community in.

VIEW OF THE HAUPTHAUS AND OF THE MAJOR SEMINAR FROM VIA DEL SEMINARIO ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
COVERED WALKWAY OF THE HAUPTHAUS OVERLOOKING THE MAJOR SEMINAR ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
CORNER DETAIL OF THE EXPOSED BRICKS OF THE HAUPTHAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

Located along the Isarco river in the eastern part of the city, the Cusanus Academy comprises three buildings: Paul Norz Haus, Mühlhaus, and Haupthaus, or Main Building, originally designed by the locally renowned architect Othmar Barth (1927-2010) — the first modern building listed under the protection of the historic preservation commission of the Province of Bolzano. At the 1962 inauguration, the building triggered much debate: many considered the boldly modern building of exposed brick and concrete to be out of place, an eyesore to the adjacent 18th century Major Seminary building, while others welcomed the contemporary addition within the medieval fabric of the historical city center. Today the building stands as one of Bressanone’s landmark buildings and is considered to be Othmar Barth’s masterpiece.

EAST SIDE FACADE OF THE HAUPTHAUS WITH A VIEW OF THE SURROUNDING MOUNTAIN LANDSCAPE ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
FAST SIDE FACADE OF THE HAUPTHAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
SOUTH VIEW OF THE PAUL NORZ HAUS AND OF THE HAUPTHAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

The Academy takes its name after Nikolaus Cusanus, a 15th century, influential and enlightened cardinal and philosopher dedicated to Renaissance humanism whose various religious and political appointments led him to Rome where he came into contact with Leon Battista Alberti. The affinity between Cusanus’ and Alberti’s ideas of concinnitas (congruity of the various parts of a building) provide the beautiful backdrop to Barth’s architectural elaboration of part to whole relationships in the name of unity and harmony.

PEDESTRIAN ACCESS FROM THE SOUTHERN PARKING WITH A VIEW OF THE HAUPTHAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
HAUPTHAUS SOUTH FACADE ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
PEDESTRIAN PASSAGE BETWEEN THE PAUL NORZ HAUS AND THE HAUPTHAUS TOWARDS THE NEW PUBLIC SQUARE FORMED BY THE THREE BUILDINGS OF THE CUSANUS ACADEMY ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

The architects were called upon to design a careful and balanced renovation that could absorb a host of technical and code related requirements without compromising the integrity of the Academy.

NEW PUBLIC SQUARE ABOVE THE NEW UNDERGROUND EXTENSION BY MODUSARCHITECTS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
SIDE ACCESS TO THE HAUPTHAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
TOP VIEW OF THE NEW PUBLIC SQUARE AND OF THE U-SHAPED SKYLIGHT ILLUMINATING THE NEW CONFERENCE ROOM ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

More specifically, the need for greater accessibility prompted the architects to rethink the vertical and horizontal circulation as a network of social, more public spaces. The project traces a fine line between that which appears to belong to the original buildings (invisible) and that which emerges as new, more clearly stated interventions (visible). The two most significant and visible design moves occur at the ground level of the Haupthaus whereby a newly formed axis opens up the building, and at the lower level whereby a large conference hall becomes a new fulcrum.

VIEW OF THE NEW NORTH-SOUTH AXIS CONNECTING THE MAIN ENTRANCE OF THE HAUPTHAUS WITH THE DINING HALL ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
NEW NORTH-SOUTH AXIS OF THE HAUPTHAUS, VIEW TOWARDS THE MAIN ENTRANCE WITH FINN JUHL’S ORIGINAL JAPAN SERIES SEATS IN THE BACKGROUND ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
VIEW FROM THE NEW AXIS OF THE SEMINAR ROOM AT THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE HAUPTHAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

A geometrical analysis of the Haupthaus reveals a plan made by three squares that open up towards the South to form an indelible trapezoidal footprint; the resulting interplay between an orthogonal order and a slight rotation governs the entire project be it in plan, elevation and detail. Coupled with the 2,90m pass that presides over structure and surface, aperture and closure, down to the patterning of the floor materials that in turn mark the positioning of the seating, the building is a poignant lesson in multa paucis—saying much with few words.

SEMINAR ROOM AT THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE HAUPTHAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
NEW NORTH-SOUTH AXIS OF THE HAUPTHAUS, VIEW TOWARDS THE DINING HALL ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
ENTRANCE OF THE DINING HALL AT THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE HAUPTHAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

Indeed, the careful grammatical construction of the project converges in an abstract order with the real dimensions of the concrete structural frame, the exposed brick walls and pavers, and the travertine slabs into a unified whole. Intervening in such a complete, and accomplished project proved to be a daunting task for MoDusArchitects.

DINING HALL AT THE GROUND FLOOR OF THE HAUPTHAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
MAIN HALL OF THE HAUPTHAUS WITH EXPOSED CONCRETE VAULTS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
VIEW OF MAIN HALL OF THE HAUPTHAUS FROM THE BALCONIED CORRIDOR AT THE FIRST FLOOR ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

“This building has been our master, a treasure trove of sage architectural solutions, of refined details and measured geometric patterns; a muse in the skillful orchestration of natural light and in the use of few materials; a guide to concision, simplicity and propriety: exemplary of true beauty, or rather “concinnitas” in Latin” — affirms Matteo Scagnol, co-founder with Sandy Attia of MoDusArchitects.

MAIN HALL OF THE HAUPTHAUS WITH THE MOVABLE BACK WALL CLOSED AND THE CHAIRS DESIGNED BY OTHMAR BARTH ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
MAIN HALL OF THE HAUPTHAUS WITH THE REAR MOVABLE WALL OPENING TOWARDS THE CONFERENCE ROOM ON THE MEZZANINE FLOOR ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
THE WHITEWASHED BRICK STAGE IN THE MAIN HALL OF THE HAUPTHAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

The double height, concrete vaulted space of the Haupthaus located on the first floor is the architectural centerpiece of the entire complex and, not surprisingly, serves as the touchstone for the tone and overall approach of the renovation.

THE CONFERENCE ROOM ON THE MEZZANINE FLOOR OPEN TO THE MAIN HALL OF THE HAUPTHAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
THE CONFERENCE ROOM ON THE MEZZANINE FLOOR CLOSED ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
THE CONFERENCE ROOM ON THE MEZZANINE FLOOR CLOSED ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

Although the laconic and bare-bones construction of the Haupthaus dictated a clear design ethos, MoDusArchitects gained precious insight into the malleability of the original project through archival research that uncovered Barth’s copious documentation of the project along with his many variations and projected additions thereof.

VIEW OF THE MAIN HALL OF THE HAUPTHAUS FROM THE RAISED FLOOR OF THE STAGE ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
CHAPEL AT THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE HAUPTHAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
HAUPTHAUS: BALCONIED CORRIDOR WITH THE GUEST ROOM DOORS AND THE EXPOSED CONCRETE VAULTS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

On the ground floor, the new North-South axis eliminates the dead-end corridor and connects the main entryway down through to the dining hall to form an articulated throughway punctuated by the newly introduced coffee shop and courtside entry area, pockets of informal seating, and views into the only seminar room located on this level. The generous hallway embodies the ambition of the project to foster a more welcoming environment without stepping outside of the constructive logic of the building.

EXPOSED CONCRETE VAULTS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
GUEST ROOM DOORS OF THE HAUPTHAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
ONE OF THE GUEST ROOMS OF THE HAUPTHAUS WITH ORIGINAL CHAIR DESIGNED BY OTHMAR BARTH ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

Below ground, at the semi-basement level, the former clubhouse area is recast as a series of seminar rooms that in turn become contiguous with the (excavated) addition of the large conference hall. Top lit by a U-shaped skylight, the new conference room circumscribes the footprint of the courtyard above ground, transforming what was once an ill-defined, residual space as a public place of social exchange. Nestled within the structural logic of the Haupthaus, a new vertical circulation core represents the functional link between Barth’s project, the historic ancillary buildings, and the buried, lower level introduced by MoDusArchitects.

THE BASEMENT FLOOR WITH THE SMALLER CONFERENCE ROOMS AND SERVICES FOR SMALL EVENTS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
ONE OF THE BASEMENT FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE ORIGINAL PROJECT ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
A DETAIL OF THE BASEMENT FLOOR CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE ORIGINAL PROJECT ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

The sleeping rooms hosting up to 96 guests are located on the upper floors of the Paul Norz Haus, the Mühlhaus and the Haupthaus’ flanking, long sides. The 55 rooms of different sizes and capacities are distinguished by blue hues in the Paul Norz Haus, pistachio green in the Mühlhaus, whereas the Haupthausrooms highlight Othmar Barth’s original furnishings or variations thereof. In the main building, the balconied corridors accessing the guest rooms look onto the main central hall and are bookended by the Chapel to the North and another large conference hall facing South whose split level position can be opened up via a movable partition wall to the central vaulted space. The original Finn Juhl armchairs that Barth had chosen for the various common spaces throughout the building have been refurbished and re-introduced in the nooks and crannies of the building. The spiritual quality of light given by the vaulted skylights can also be found in the chapel, a solemn space modified only by the artist Lois Anvidalferei’s solid stone Ambon positioned in front of the existing altar.

THE NEW MODULAR CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE MODUSARCHITECTS EXTENSION IN THE BASEMENT FLOOR WITH THE U-SHAPED SKYLIGHT ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
THE NEW MODULAR CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE MODUSARCHITECTS EXTENSION IN THE BASEMENT FLOOR WITH THE U-SHAPED SKYLIGHT ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

With a careful and tempered orchestration of a material, tectonic and technical palette of solutions, MoDusArchitects’ innumerable interventions oscillate between mimetic, reciprocal and carefully contrasting vocabularies. What results is a shifting narrative between the old and the new that confounds the boundary between the two, offering the Cusanus Academy a contemporary and timeless architecture.

THE NEW MODULAR CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE MODUSARCHITECTS EXTENSION IN THE BASEMENT FLOOR WITH THE U-SHAPED SKYLIGHT ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
A DETAIL OF THE SOUND-ABSORBING WALL OF THE NEW MODULAR CONFERENCE ROOM OF THE MODUSARCHITECTS EXTENSION IN THE BASEMENT FLOOR ©GUSTAV WILLEIT
ONE OF THE NEW GUEST ROOMS OF THE PAUL NORZ HAUS ©GUSTAV WILLEIT

Historical Images ©Archivio provinciale di Bolzano, fondo Othmar 

Drawings

1961 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS BY OTHMAR BARTH
1961 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS BY OTHMAR BARTH
1961 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS BY OTHMAR BARTH
1961 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS BY OTHMAR BARTH
1961 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS BY OTHMAR BARTH
1961 ORIGINAL DRAWINGS BY OTHMAR BARTH

Facts & Credits
Project title  Cusanus Academy
Typology  Renovation, restoration, addition
Location  Bressanone, Bolzano, Italy
Competition  2017
Design phase  2018
Construction phase  2019—2020
Completion  September 2020
GFA  Haupthaus (3.640 sqm) + Paul Norz Haus (1.240 sqm) + Mühlhaus (5120 sqm) + underground addition (625 sqm)
Client  Kardinal Nikolaus Cusanus Akademie

Architect  MoDusArchitects (Sandy Attia, Matteo Scagnol)
Project team  Giorgio Cappellato, Miriam Pozzoli, Lavinia Antichi, Laura Spezzoni, Anna Valandro
Structural engineer  Roberto Ricci Maccarini (3M Engineering Srl)
Mechanical engineer  Michele Carlini (Studio Tecnico Ing. M.Carlini)
Electrical engineer  Andreas von Lutz (Von Lutz Studio Associato)
Safety engineer  Riccardo Mora (3M Engineering Srl)
Lighting consultant  Alexa von Lutz (Von Lutz Studio Associato)
Acoustics  Christina Niederstätter (Archacustica)
Geology consultant  Michael Jesacher (Jesacher Geologiebüro)
General contractor  CarronBau srl
Site work and excavation  Beton Eisack srl
Windows  Wolf Fenster SPA
Wooden carpentry  Martini Luciano SNC
Lighting  Xal GmbH, BEGA Leuchten KG
Restoration  Marson Srl
Custom-built furniture Haupthaus  Kofler Srl
Custom-built furniture Paul Norz Haus/Muhlhaus  Resch Möbel GMBH
Kitchen supplier  Winkler Gastro Solution
Standard furnishings  Trias OHG
Audio-video equipment  ACS Data System
Signage  Serima Srl
Landscaping  Kiener Gärtnerei & Gartenbau
Photography  ©Gustav Willeit



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