Santa Petronilla Care Home

Giampiero Mina, 1979

The Biasca care home is the outcome of an architecture competition announced in 1966, in the heart of the so-called Organic Ticino period: the project - although built towards the end of the 1970s - reflects this particular architectural language, which places great importance on a harmonious integration into the pre-Alpine setting of the place, while at the same time paying the utmost attention to the quality of living for the residents, the true beating heart of the complex.

Located in a distinctive spot - on the Biasca landslide, which strongly marked this territory at the beginning of the sixteenth century - the building deliberately blends into the orography thanks to wide sloping roof pitches that follow the incline of the land, which in turn allows residents to reach the garden from all the residential units overlooking the three sides of the complex, on three different levels; further visual and perceptual contact with the surrounding nature is provided by the numerous balconies opening onto the valley to the south and by the large sun-rooms set into the roof pitches.

The structure is modulated into two distinct volumes placed around small inner courtyards: one for the residents and one for the staff, within which are various services, from common areas to those for care and entertainment activities, as well as assistance and healthcare functions.

The original residential units are characterised by different layouts, from single rooms to small units for couples: the project provides 72 beds, of which around sixty are dedicated to the residents and the rest to the care staff. The appearance of the volumes, deliberately non-cubic, and the choice of warm materials aim to create a complex with a welcoming, evocative and inclusive character.

This visit will offer an approach to the architecture of the facility and to the original design choices 50 years after its design, through a tour conducted primarily outdoors, with a single passage through the common areas.