The Banca Popolare di Verona is designed by Carlo Scarpa in collaboration with Arrigo Rudi, who has completed the master's work after his death. The building is located in the historic heart of Verona, and overlooks the Nogara Square.

Banca Popolare di Verona was completed after Scarpa’s death under the supervision of Arrigo Rudi. The Banca's highly articulated facade, a provocative variant on classical models, aroused international controversy.

The head office of the Banca Popolare demonstrated a major development in the was new buildings might intervene in a historic centre. This discourse had been opened up by Scarpa's work for Olivetti and followed by several projects.

Interior design and technical details

A particular quality of the interior of the Banca Popolare lies in the surface finishes that Scarpa employs. Polished and coloured 'stucco lucido' is applied to many surfaces and is particularly associated with elements of vertical circulation - stair and lift enclosures. This is not merely a decorative device since the specular reflections from this conjunction of form and material act to convey light deep into the heart of the building.

The modern office building, almost inevitably, has comprehensive systems of heating, cooling and ventilation. Banca Popolare is no exception, but Scarpa's originality of mind allows him to avoid the conventional solutions to the physical incorporation of the systems into the fabric of the building. A number of vertical risers carry services up the building from the basement plant room and a large horizontal duct runs at roof level connecting these to the rooftop plant room. The relationship of the structural and environmental systems of the building is given expression in the design of the ceilings at all levels. Unlike the vertical layering of the continuous suspended ceiling found in most modern office buildings, Scarpa establishes a clear horizontal differentiation between exposed concrete structure and plastered surfaces beneath service voids. This organizes and disciplines the position of artificial light fittings and air-conditioning grilles.

Facade

The Banca's highly articulated facade, a provocative variant on classical models, aroused international controversy.