Borsoni Theatre

Located in Brescia’s former industrial district along via Milano, the project forms part of the city’s regeneration plan “Oltre la Strada”. On the site of a dismantled factory, it establishes a civic theatre with two halls and a new public square that defines a contemporary urban space for gathering and cultural life. The building’s compact volume, defined by prefabricated rusticated concrete panels and translucent polycarbonate cladding, reinterprets the industrial material language of the place, while interiors in wood and aluminium create a warm, inclusive atmosphere for cultural exchange.

The project faced several challenges: a very limited budget, a fragmented urban context and the ambition to create a cultural facility accessible to all citizens. Located in Brescia’s declining industrial district, the site lacked identity and public life. The strategy was to concentrate resources in a compact, efficient volume capable of generating a new civic focus. Prefabricated concrete panels, polycarbonate and simple construction methods reduced costs while ensuring a strong architectural expression. The challenge for us was to hybridise advanced off-site techniques, standard systems available on the market and handcrafted details refined during the design phase. Integrating these components within a tight budget required precision and close collaboration with the contractor, whose organisational quality was crucial to achieving a coherent and balanced result once construction was completed.

The project is based on off-site construction principles and environmental reversibility assessed through LCA and compliant with national CAM criteria. Exposed concrete, aluminium and polycarbonate are used without surface treatment, reducing maintenance and ageing uniformly over time. The 19-metre-high stage tower is clad with backlit polycarbonate panels that ensure lightness and visibility, while prefabricated rusticated concrete panels define the building’s tactile identity. Structural simplicity, standardised components and careful detailing allowed cost control and rapid assembly. The combination of off-site systems and artisanal precision embodies a sustainable approach balancing economy and quality. Maintenance is minimal: periodic cleaning of polycarbonate surfaces and of the roof, together with routine inspection of joints, preserves the building’s material integrity.