Italian School Architecture: Studio Settanta7 on PNRR and Future Challenges

Italian architects Daniele Rangone and Elena Rionda of Studio Settanta7 discuss the state of school building in Italy. According to the National Register of School Buildings, there are 40,160 active buildings, 3,042 inactive, and 34 closed due to disasters. Rangone notes that despite efforts since 2015, thousands of interventions are still needed. Settanta7, with offices in Turin, Milan, Lyon, and Tirana, recently won the competition for the Bosco della Musica in Milan, expanding the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory. Two significant school projects completed by the studio are the Collodi school complex in Seveso and the new Anna Maria Enriques Agnoletti high school in Sesto Fiorentino. Both emphasize energy efficiency, bioclimatic design, recyclable materials, and community integration. The PNRR has allocated €12.1 billion for 212 innovative schools (213 including one self-funded by Bolzano), with a competition launched by the Ministry of Education via the CNA platform, requiring completion by June 30, 2026. Rangone is optimistic but stresses the urgent need to update the 1975 legislative decree, which he considers obsolete. He also notes that Indire's positive momentum since 2013 has waned.