The old Montessori School makes way for new apartments in the heart of Bergamo

Source: Corriere della Sera

By Friday, even the last remnants of the former Montessori school on Viale Vittorio Emanuele will be gone. The mid-1950s building, which housed the Foundation’s classrooms until June 2018, has been demolished, and attention has now shifted to the future of the site—soon to be home to eight brand-new apartments in one of Bergamo’s most prestigious central areas.

The project is led by Ma.Ma. Srl, the company owned by entrepreneurs Marco Cefis and Matteo Zanetti, fresh off a sold-out success with their “Albricci 10” development in the Conca d’Oro neighbourhood—another former historic building (the old clergy residence) that was razed and converted into high-end residential units.

Here on the Viale, the constraints are tighter. Once again, the design is in the hands of architect Luciano Togni, as with the previous project. But this time, the brief had to adhere closely to preservation guidelines laid down by Palazzo Frizzoni (Bergamo’s town hall) and the Superintendence for Cultural Heritage. That meant strict limits on materials, form, and colour—not to mention volume.

“We’ll rebuild on the same footprint, with the same volume and the same height,” explains architect Togni. “There will be no extension—not even a single extra cubic metre. The building will follow the exact shape of the former Montessori school.”

The new building will rise over four storeys, with two apartments per floor. Technically, they won’t be classed as luxury properties (each will be under 240 square metres), but they’ll range from 100–120 to 150 sqm, available as three- or four-room units. Each apartment will include a dedicated parking space in the underground garage—built within the existing basement structure from the old school.

“Again, we’ve respected the previous volumes of the school’s original underground levels,” Togni confirms.

The architecture will be contemporary, with plastered façades and a pitched roof. The only new additions will be balconies, while large windows on the north-facing façade will echo the original school’s generous panes. A band of natural stone—specifically Ceppo di Gré from Lake Iseo—will adorn the base of the building. As for the colour of the plaster, the decision will be made by the municipal Landscape Commission. Minor details, according to Togni.

COSPE Costruzioni, based in San Paolo d’Argon, is handling the works. The two-week demolition period is set to conclude this Friday, and construction will begin immediately after. The timeline is a standard 18-month schedule, with completion expected by the end of 2021.

This brings closure to a story that began several years ago, when the Montessori Foundation decided to sell off its cramped, logistically challenging premises beneath the Venetian Walls and build a new school between Longuelo and the Briantea area.

The project, initially entrusted to Viaviale, a company associated with former UDC member Nicola Gritti, stalled in 2014 due to legal disputes between the firm and the original contractor. That delay put both the relocation and the redevelopment of the Viale Vittorio Emanuele site on indefinite hold—until now.