In October 2009 GPA won the competition for the construction design of the new school of Europe, issued by the City of Parma.
The location was chosen from the European Food Safety Authority "EFSA” headquarters and the development is of a remarkable size using state of the art technologies.
The school complex that will house the School for Europe's new headquarters has been designed to accommodate 1,180 students.
It has been divided into five sections ranging from nursery to primary and secondary school.
The design includes the provision of facilities such as outdoor playgrounds, two gymnasiums, a cafeteria, an auditorium, library and an office building for the School's management.
La “Scuola per l’Europa” of Parma is made from a series of buildings in exposed masonry work over a total of 20,000 m², which are located along the sides of a cloister.
The complex of the School for the Europe, from a structural point of view, consists of 9 independent bodies, separated by seismic joints positioned in order to be architecturally unobtrusive.
The structure of the buildings designed by GPA is made of reinforced concrete. Some of the buildings are designed with laminated wooden beams for the roofs and with prefabricated roof tiles.
Paolo Spinelli CEng FICE, ICE Member in the UK