Architects:enrico sassi architetto

Year:2022

Photographs:Marcelo Villada Ortiz

Manufacturers:Capoferri Tende,Coibentazioni,Eco 2000,Maffi Massimo,Piergiorgio Balzaretti,Schindler SA,Walco Lin

Civil Engineering:Comal.ch SA

Electrical Engineering:Elettroconsulenze Solcà SA

Lighting Consultant:Progelec sagl

Construction Physics:Think Exergy SA

Building Contractor:Gianini & Colombo SA

Electrician:Arrigo G&A SA

Plasterer:Valsangiacomo M. Sagl

Painter:Trapletti Pittore Sagl

Heating:Progetto Energia SA

Gardening:Ianchello Giardini Sagl

Client:Fondazione Luigi e Teresa Galli

Collaborator:Roberta Blasi, Irene Lucca

Works Director:Eraldo Pianetti Ing.

Sanitary Consultant:Fabio Pinciroli

Firefighting Specialist:Angelo Fumagalli

Sanitary:Agustoni Claudio

Carpenter:Mirco Solcà

Kitchen Assembly:Claudio Amaglio

Grinding:Nicola Involti

Woodworks:Carpentinox Sagl

Blacksmith:Damiano Petraglio Fabbro Metallbau Sagl

City:Coldrerio

Country:Switzerland

Text description provided by the architects. The Daniello mill is a building that stands on the banks of the Roncaglia stream, in the center of the Motta Valley Park, between the municipalities of Coldrerio and Novazzano.

The building dates back to the early 1800s. The original building housed a room with three millstones and an oil mill, a stable, a garage, a barn and the rooms where the miller lived. In addition to the Daniello mill building, there are also two other buildings: a two-storey building, originally used for breeding silkworms and a shed open on the sides. The mill consists of two buildings with traditional masonry that intersect on right angles The three original millstones and the oil mill are conserved on the ground floor of the southern body. One of the three millstones and the crusher are working and are put into operation through two external water wheels (one in wood, one in metal) fed with water from the canal.

The renovation project of the building plans to keep the volume and the original character of the building unchanged and transforming it into an educational-congress centre. The intervention involves the conservation and enhancement of the part of the building that houses the historical activities: the ground floor with the mill room and the small house-museum of the Galli family. The room with the machines has been restored, without any addition of thermal insulation to not compromise its original appearance.

The wooden water wheel, which was in very poor condition, has been restored. On the ground floor, the elevator-stairway block, the rooms with toilets and a new space for displaying the products of the mill and original historical objects have been added.The new masonry interventions were made of reinforced concrete left exposed.

Two spaces have been created on the first floor: a 50 m2 classroom for teaching (ancient truss room) and a multipurpose room (100 m2). The multi-purpose room is naturally illuminated by the original openings on the south side and a large new window (820cm long) that opens onto the park to the north.

The roof of the multipurpose room has a 10 m long IPE 550 profile metal ridge beam, covered and transformed into a lighting fixture. The tie rods of the trusses are galvanized steel strands (18 mm diameter) stretched on site and suspended in the centre.

The floors are concrete with added red aggregates (red marble of Verona and porphyry of Cuasso al Monte), then smoothed. Room heating is provided by two pellet stoves.

Part of the original plaster was preserved where possible, the rest of the brickwork was finished with lime-based plaster. The two facades of the entrance were painted in the original yellow colour.

Project gallery

Project location

Address:Coldrerio, Switzerland