Innovative Active Surfaces for the panoramic rooftop of Lecce’s Palazzo delle Poste

The Palazzo delle Poste in Piazza Giuseppe Libertini in Lecce is a historic building constructed in the 1920s in a strategic location in the city centre, next to Carlo V Castle and the beauty of the Baroque city centre of Lecce.
Originally built as a post office, the building has now been repurposed, restoring and preserving its façades to return the building to its original sumptuous beauty. The offices that occupied the building’s three floors have been replaced by 32 luxurious apartments of different sizes, topped by a rooftop terrace perfect for enjoying panoramic views over the Baroque city centre and nearby Carlo V Castle. The rooftop terrace, complete with swimming pool and solarium exclusively for residents’ use, has been paved with the Iris Ceramica Group’s anti-bacterial, antiviral, anti-pollution and self-cleaning ceramic surfaces. The materials chosen are Snow (in the 100 x 100 size, with a thickness of 6 mm) and Sand (in the 100 x 100 size, with a thickness of 2 cm) from the Loft collection by Porcelaingres, a brand belonging to the Iris Ceramica Group of Fiorano Modenese. In this collection of ceramic surfaces, the corporality of concrete meets the elegance of stone to create a sophisticated material in neutral hues, contributing to the creation of a relaxing atmosphere throughout the outdoor area.

The renovation work is due to be completed in the first half of 2022, with architectural planning and supervision of work by architect Jacopo di Cristofaro of Studio OFF, based in Campobasso, and technical installations and home automation by engineer Alessandro Rizzo of Lecce. The entire project is directed by MR Investments of Campobasso, a nation-wide real estate investment company accredited by key players in the sector.
A focus on environmental sustainability and the desire to offer future residents the utmost comfort are the key sources of inspiration for MR Investments and the starting point for all the players involved in the renovation of Palazzo delle Poste. Hence the decision to use Active Surfaces® developed by the Iris Ceramica Group: surface coverings responding to the project’s need to combine the authentic, historic beauty of a building that has been restored to its former splendour through a conservative restoration project combining respect for the construction’s original qualities with advanced, innovative features focusing on the key issues of health, well-being and the environment.

Active Surfaces® ceramic floor tiles by the Iris Ceramica Group are produced using a technology protected by two European patents and based on a process of photocatalysis employing titanium dioxide with the addition of silver. This makes the material eco-active and capable of performing five important actions: anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-pollutant, self-cleaning and anti-odour, with effects that continue throughout the slabs’ entire lifetime, making them an important investment for the future. This efficacy has been confirmed by numerous scientific tests, conducted with and without the presence of light, tested on the basis of ISO standards and, as demonstrated by the most recent tests, also effective in fighting Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19. In short, a product combining human well-being with high standards of safety, beauty and ecology, for ceramic slabs are sustainably produced in zero emissions production plants and are fully recyclable.

Images courtesy of MR Investments

Client: MR Investments
Architect and construction management: Jacopo di Cristofaro, Studio Off Campobasso
MEP Engineering: ing. Alessandro Rizzo
Roof-Top tiles: Porcelaingres Loft Active Surfaces ® by Iris Ceramica Group