Leisure | Hospitality | Exhibition. Three mixed-use projects for Olbia, Milan, Sanya, at the frontier of teaching, research and professional design

This book introduces the comparative study of the generative process of three architectural projects through textual and graphical diagrammatic media. Each share compositional logics, technological choices and morphological approaches.The three projects explore the mutual influence and transition between theoretical speculation, teaching themes within university Design Studios and the potential direct application into the professional realm. Developed between 2012 and 2016, they concern three sites prompted by complex functional programs pivoting around a mix of leisure, hospitality, exhibit and retail: Capo Ceraso Hub, in Olbia (Italy), Cocoa Cluster Milan Expo, in Milan (Italy) and Sky Court Leisure Center in Sanya (China).Some common principles are captured in the design process of the three works, articulated in different yet comparable ways: 1_The ground as a matrix of the morphological operations applied to generating the geometry of the buildings, 2_The clear distinction between: a) the main volumes shaped as massive opaque blocks, b) a secondary cladding, acting as a skin, c) a variety of visible structural elements revealing the construction process, 3_The assembled nature of the “independent” objects that animate both the interiors and exteriors, interior from prefab parametric façade elements to design and urban furniture.