Bologna Business School, Bologna
when
2023
where
Bologna
architecture
MCA - Mario Cucinella Architects
interior design
MCA - Mario Cucinella Architects
products
PRINCIPLES - ANDROMEDA CREDENZA - ANDROMEDA TABLES
UniFor played a key role in furnishing the newly inaugurated Bologna Business School campus, designed by Mario Cucinella Architects, by providing versatile furnishings from the PRINCIPLES collection by OMA. Large lecture halls feature semi-circular desks, while smaller rooms include square and round tables to encourage collaboration. Communal spaces are enhanced with star-configured tables and integrated planters. Linear table arrangements in the reading room promote focus and study.
PRINCIPLES tables come with integrated power connections, and height-adjustable lecterns offer ergonomic flexibility. UniFor’s tailored solutions have transformed the campus into a sustainable, innovative educational hub, reinforcing its leadership in creating inspiring learning environments.
The new Bologna Business School campus, designed by MCA - Mario Cucinella Architects, was inaugurated in September 2024. Located on the hills just a short distance from the centre of Bologna, the complex is situated near Villa Guastavillani, the historical home of the Business School since the early 2000s. Thanks to the redevelopment of the facilities, the school is now ready to welcome up to 3,500 students from all over the world, offering flexible learning spaces and places for sharing and interaction that harmonise with the surrounding environment.
Mario Cucinella envisioned the campus as a place where past and present coexist, blending functionality and enhancement of the landscape in a harmonious way. The project has preserved pre-existing elements, such as the farmhouse and the former oven, now restored for hosting lessons and educational activities, and integrated new structures, creating a single two-storey building dedicated to the main academic activities. This new building includes a basement level, connected to the farmhouse by a tunnel, ensuring spatial continuity. Outside, a large portico and two terraced gardens extend the common areas, acting as natural extensions of the canteen and study hall while allowing adequate light into the basement.
“The design of the new Bologna Business School campus is based on the idea of unity within diversity. The new building interacts with the landscape as a unifying and generative element, fostering an empathetic relationship between nature and architecture. The historical significance of these locations intertwines with contemporaneity, inspiring young students,” explains Mario Cucinella, Founder & Design Director of MCA – Mario Cucinella Architects.
Within this ambitious project, UniFor provided the furnishings for the campus’s main areas, choosing the PRINCIPLES collection by OMA for its exceptional adaptability. The aim was to create highly flexible environments, capable of accommodating a wide variety of activities: from individual work to group collaboration, as well as lectures and meeting with large audiences. With PRINCIPLES, large rooms were furnished with semi-circular desks, while smaller rooms feature square and round tables to encourage small group activities. In shared spaces such as the canteen and study area, PRINCIPLES proved to be the ideal choice: rectangular tables are arranged in star configurations with central planters for breaks, while in the reading room they are positioned in a linear arrangement to facilitate focus and study. In line with contemporary needs, all PRINCIPLES tables provided by UniFor are equipped with electrical connections, and those intended for use as lecterns include a height-adjustment mechanism, allowing for customisation based on the lecturer’s needs and the type of meeting.
The campus reflects sustainable architecture, designed to reduce environmental impact. Shading louvres covering the structures regulate the entry of natural light and help control thermal radiation and energy consumption. All required energy is produced entirely by photovoltaic panels, and for water management, a system for collecting and reusing water has been implemented for use during the summer months.
Through this collaboration, UniFor and Mario Cucinella Architects have brought to life a project that not only expands Bologna Business School but also serves as a model of sustainable and functional educational design, effectively combining innovation with respect for history and the local environment.