Last week a school previously destroyed by an earthquake was re-opened in Muccia, Italy, having been rebuilt by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and Chopard.
On Wednesday the 26th of June in Muccia, Italy – one of the towns devastated by the 2016 earthquake – Livia Firth joined Andrea Bocelli and Chopard’s Simona Zito for the inauguration of a new primary and nursery school, which has been rebuilt in just 150 days thanks to the Andrea Bocelli Foundation and support from Chopard.
In line with the values that underpin its Journey to Sustainable Luxury, Chopard has contributed to the reconstruction of the school E. De Amicis school in Muccia, and has taken the opportunity to promote its sustainability values by partnering with Andrea Bocelli Foundation for the construction of a school built around sustainability principles. In particular, Chopard has financed the Art, Science and Sustainability Lab, where children will be able to play and learn about sustainability 7 days a week. To teach children about sustainability, Eco-Age has produced the Sustainability Passport, based on our 10 Eco-Age Principles and re-adapted in a child-friendly version to be relevant – and understandable – for kids.
The week before the school’s opening, a photographic exhibition narrating the journey of the reconstruction of the school was showcased in Florence during Pitti Immagine Bimbo.
The opening of E. De Amicis in Muccia, Italy.
Built in just 150 days, the design of the school fuses tradition with modernity: carefully composed to fit seamlessly within the landscape of the old town centre, as well as integrating with and providing facilities for the local community. The total surface area spans 1000 square metres and features large open spaces (to be used for reading, socialising or informal lessons), an area to cultivate aromatic herbs, an aquarium. The centre of the school (The Agora’) boasts a lovely open canteen, where students can enjoy meals and breaks together, as well as a piano – symbolising the centrality of music to the school’s design and curriculum.
Not only is the new De Amicis school beautifully-designed, it is also extremely functional, has the highest possible protection against natural disasters and plenty of great sustainability features. Over the 150 days, 45 companies (all from the Marche region), making up a team of over 15 professionals, and 163 workers and technicians, worked to make this inspirational project a reality. They built the complex using “Platform Frame” technology – which is engineered to withstand the tremors from earthquakes – as well as prefabricated wooden elements, insulated walls, underfloor heating, a photovoltaic system, and air treatment units with heat recovery systems and air-to-air heat pumps. All these special features contribute to the building being classified as a Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) – which is very exciting in terms of the future of schools and buildings in general.
Chopard’s Exhibition “Muccia – The New School of Tomorrow” at Pitti Immagine Bimbo
This was an exhibition by Chopard documenting the journey undertaken by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation to reconstruct the school E. De Amicis in Muccia. The exhibition was displayed throughout both days of Pitti Imaggine Bimbo – the biannual childrenswear show in Florence, Italy.
Read more about the Journey to Sustainable Luxury, Chopard’s commitment to a 100% ethical gold supply chain, and watch the brilliant Rosanna Falconer interview the celebrity guests arriving on the red carpet at Chopard’s new boutique opening in New Bond Street.