The construction site started from 3.5 million euros (from a demolition defined as “surgical”) for the redevelopment of Ite Carrara gyms which, once the demolition has been completed, will have modern spaces available, also made safe from a seismic point of view and adequate in terms of energy efficiency. To autumn 2025within about a year, the school gyms will be completely renovated and refurbished from the Province of Lucca, which recently opened the construction site entrusted to the company Itaf Srl of Pistoia.
To present the works – today (8 April) – an inspection was carried out in the school on the ring road, near the Porta Elisa stadium, in the presence of the president of the Province Luca Menesiniof the architect Fabrizio Mechinitechnical manager of the school building and heritage sector of the Palazzo Ducale institution, of the director of works in charge, engineer Cristian Ricci and the school principal Alessia Bechelli.
The Ite Carrara school complex (which dates back to the second half of the 1950s) has already been the subject of various adaptation and seismic safety measures by the Province. Interventions are underway in one pavilion while the one on the stadium side has been completed for some time. In the next few months the Province will proceed to redevelop the gymnasium building, the roof of which had already been redone: it exists a main gymin fact, and two smaller spaces always used for sporting activities.
Most of the funds to redevelop the sports facility were obtained by the Province through the application for tenders of the Pnrr (National Recovery and Resilience Plan) and from which the Province obtained an investment of 1.6 million euros; to these are added 163 thousand euros of GSE (Energy Services Manager) contribution, 489 thousand euros financed with Foi 2023 (non-deferrable works funds) and approximately 1.2 million euros via mortgage, for an overall economic framework of approximately 3.5 million EUR. The project includes seismic adaptation, safety and energy efficiency works for the gymnasium and the corridor connecting it to the adjacent pavilion “C”.
The president of the Province is satisfied Luca Menesini who underlines that “the Carrara, work after work in the various pavilions, will soon be safer, more functional for teaching and modern in its entirety. The redevelopment of the gym is equally important and will allow us to reopen, within a year, a facility dedicated to physical activity in the morning and available to sports clubs during extra-curricular hours as it has been in the past. But the improvements on Carrara will continue: by July, in fact, the contract for the completion of pavilion C will be awarded for an amount of over 2 million euros to be completed within 9 months from the start of the works. The Province is carrying out numerous interventions on schools and gyms in the area thanks to its great ability to attract European funding into its coffers. By 2025 schools will be more beautiful and safer, the change we are making will be visible and usable by everyone.”
The project
The intervention at the Ite Carrara gyms in Lucca began with the demolition of some non-structural parts and dismantling of all equipment; then the works will initially concern the electrical, lighting and heating systems, the toilets and the thermal insulation aspect also with the installation of sound-absorbing panels.
An air conditioning system will then be installed which will guarantee the air exchange required by current regulations; the roof of the adjacent block C will be equipped with photovoltaic panels to meet the energy demand of both pavilion C and the gym. Other works will concern the structures of the building: following the results of the study on seismic vulnerability, the need has been identified to prepare a further structural reinforcement plan which will adapt the gymnasium to safety standards. The seismic adaptation involves the construction of vertical walls in reinforced concrete.
Subsequently, the appointed company will have to remove the floor and beams of the large gym and replace them with a new floor. Regarding the small gym, the deck will be consolidated through the creation of a reinforced concrete slab connected to the existing floor below and the beams will be consolidated using the casing technique.
