San Marino's new World Trade Centre was opened with a glittering inaugural ceremony on 25th June in the presence of His Excellency the Bishop of San Marino, the Mayor of Rimini and other government representatives.
Foster and Partners design of the World Trade Centre in San Marino illustrates the practices concern with urban regeneration, the creation of new public realms, and the long-term environmental benefits of incorporating built-in flexibility in a mixed-use development. The World Trade Centre was created to act as a catalyst for the urban regeneration of the city; it not only offers residential and working accommodation for the local population, but also an exciting and vibrant new public space that is served by shops, restaurants and cafes.
Adaptability is vital to the future of our cities. Over the last two decades, working patterns have become increasingly more flexible. While it is difficult to predict future developments, flexibility can be built into buildings so that they can continue to be useful should circumstances alter. Foster and Partners project for the World Trade Centre in San Marino extends the concept of mixed-use to its logical conclusion; combining apartments, offices, shops and restaurants within the same building, and providing a structure that allows individual units to be easily adapted from offices to apartments should the future need arise.
The Foster design is sensitive to the culture of climate and place. The building draws on the vernacular of this wine-growing region, incorporating such touches as a pergola or plant-covered roof trellis to cover the car parking facilities, providing both natural shade for the vehicles and an attractive visual shield. This amenity not only serves the development, but also the larger local community, and has been partially buried within the site.
The building has been conceived of as a part of a larger urban context. With its combination of office space, apartments and leisure facilities, the World Trade Centre in San Marino creates a new public focus within the city and a magnet for further development. The Foster design of the World Trade Centre building has produced an icon that symbolises the region and San Marinos investment in its economic future.
