Grand Palace

With this project, Lugano is enriched by an entirely new construction that, however, respects the constraint, confirmed by a popular vote, represented by the preservation of the historical facades (the east facade facing the lake and the south facade that extended towards the pre-existing park). The intervention, understood as restoration, was therefore limited to the facades alone, which serve as a true theatrical backdrop for contemporary architecture to take center stage. The complex of the former Palace has experienced a tumultuous century and a half of existence. Over time, fires, destruction, abandonment, collapses, and weathering have contributed to turning the interior of this structure into an immense heap of ruins. When the Municipality sold this property, Sergio and Geo Mantegazza, Maria Luisa Garzoni, and Mario Albek undertook the commitment to restore an important portion of the city’s fabric to Lugano.