The Welcoming Citadel

The project was the winner of the international competition to build a new Welcoming Citadel within the former civil hospital, promoted by the Public Service Agency Città di Riva.

The new complex follows a polygonal layout centered around a multi-level inner courtyard. This space helps create continuity between open areas and sheltered pathways, reinforcing the relationship with the garden and the surrounding landscape. The circulation system is designed for smooth, intuitive movement, with corridors, rooms, and communal areas arranged around the internal gardens in a way that echoes the organic forms of nature.

The interiors are structured around a circulation ring that prioritizes livable and accessible spaces dedicated to socialization for the 60 residents and 20 daily guests. The rooms are distributed in three clusters of 20 patients, one of which is specially designed and equipped for Alzheimer’s patients. The interior design of the private areas is simple and discreet, but the experience is enriched by carefully considered details: courtyards planted with olive trees and rosemary, panoramic views from rooms and hallways, and a bright lobby illuminated by skylights, featuring sinuously shaped furnishings.

On the exterior, the Citadel is wrapped in a structured grid clad in ceramic panels. The façade alternates with slender and large columns, creating a rhythm of panels, windows, and open loggias. This seemingly strict design establishes a dialogue with the neoclassical layout of the former hospital while also recalling the traditional limonaie (lemon houses) typical of the region.

While the exterior blends harmoniously with Riva del Garda’s historic center, the inner courtyard offers a more intimate and welcoming atmosphere, evoking the atmosphere of a small village. The pyramid-shaped skylights emerge as sculptural elements that also serve as outdoor seating along raised flower beds. The irregular roofline appears to echo the silhouette of the mountains in the background, while the inner walls – clad in composite wood slats – feature a series of irregular openings that create a uniform yet dynamic pattern.

Through an approach focused on energy efficiency and the integration of multidisciplinary strategies, the Welcoming Citadel of Riva del Garda has achieved LEED Gold certification, pursuing environmental balance without compromising its architectural and compositional quality.

Email interview originally published on Italian-Architects.