Luca Negri

Waterproofing of pools and whirlpools

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La façade Art Nouveau du Grand Hôtel des Îles Borromées

The waterproofing of the new indoor and outdoor pools and whirlpools in the SPA of the Hôtel des Iles Borromeés writes a new chapter in the fascinating history of this prestigious hotel.

In September 1918 a 19-year-old American soldier was wounded in the trenches and spent his convalescence in Stresa.

That boy is called Ernest Hemingway and, fascinated by the beauty of Lake Maggiore, he set part of his novel A Farewell to Arms – A Farewell to Arms, 1929 – there, making the Grand Hôtel des Iles Borromées famous throughout the world.

It is just one of the many connections with history that have built the legend of the great hotel, inaugurated in 1863.

With the opening of the Simplon railway tunnel, Stresa became a privileged destination for elite European tourism and, in 1919, was included in the sixth route of the Orient Express: the one which from London reaches Istanbul through Italy, via Milan, Venice and Trieste.

The Simplon Orient Express soon became the most successful route and getting off at Des Iles gave wealthy travelers their first evocative impact on the Bel Paese.

In over a century and a half of history, the Hôtel des Iles Borromeés has been able to adapt the concept of elegance to the evolution of times and tastes, without distorting its inimitable Art Nouveau style.

The new Spa was inaugurated in 2022, with wellness programs, saunas, Turkish baths, salt rooms, as well as indoor and outdoor swimming pools and hydromassage tubs, all made with the integral waterproofing of the Drytech Tank.

The speed of construction of the Drytech system allowed the Bellani company of Arona to remove the waterproofing activities from the work calendar, delivering the new structure in time for the opening of the grand season.

Drytech Engineering also designed the solution for a sensitive structural detail such as the passage between the internal and external swimming pool, subject to significant temperature variations depending on the season.

Project: Architect Statilio Ubiali, Verdellino

Structure: Eng. Marco Danioni, Dormelletto / Eng. Carlo Sammartini, Cassano Magnago

Testing: Architect Alberto Marzaro, Mercallo

Construction: Bellani, Arona

Drytech Tank: 2,850 m2

Waterproofing of the skyscrapers

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The theory of skyscrapers in Milan's Porta Nuova district, the basement of which was built with a 43,730 m² Drytech White Tank waterproof structure.

The waterproofing of the skyscrapers in Milan’s Porta Nuova district was carried out with 43,730 m² of Drytech Tank.

The masterplan of Milano Porta Nuova was signed by the Kohn Pedersen Fox studio of London, while the executive plan is the work of the Arquitectonica IC of Miami and m²P Associati of Milan, for the commissioning of Hines Italia and Galotti SpA.

3,000 m² are destined for the Municipality of Milan to make it a cultural center. The four underground levels, made with the Drytech Tank waterproofing system, house parking spaces for 2,000 cars.

Drytech has built 43,730 m² of waterproof underground structures with the White Tank System, collaborating with the designers of Arup Italia in Milan and coordinating with the CMB company for the preparatory activities for waterproofing which, being parallel to those of the construction site, are in fact been removed from the work calendar.

Owner: Hines< Italia / Gallotti Spa

Project: Kohn Pedersen Fox, Londra / Arquitectonica IC, Miami / m²P Associati, Milano

Structure: Arup Italia, Milano

Works Management: Engineer Coppi, Modena

Construction: CO, VAR: Sarl, Reggio Emilia

Waterproofing: Drytech Italia, Como

Drytech Tank: 43’730 m²

Waterproofing of the underground gymnasium

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The new underground gymnasium of the Massagno school, made with Drytech White Tank waterproofing

The waterproofing of the underground gymnasium of the Massagno primary school with the Drytech Tank structure made it impermeable to both water and radon.

This is the story of a beautiful elementary school from the 1960s that wants to continue to be beautiful in the new millennium. Where beautiful means adequate to the needs of modern pedagogy.

With this objective, the project by the Durisch + Nolli and Giraudi Radczuweit Architetti studios proposed the integral maintenance of the body of the school designed sixty years ago by Arch. Finzi, updating it through a process of reorganization, adaptation and expansion.

The spaces have been rethought on the needs of contemporary teaching, which requires larger classrooms to allow for dynamic teaching, with flexible spaces divided into different areas of activity.

The school complex was then expanded and completed with the construction of a double gymnasium and a canteen for pupils and teachers.

The double gymnasium dug into the ground made it possible to maintain a proportionate volume with the school building.

The hypogeum consists of a 4,000 m² Drytech Tank structure, impermeable to both water and radon.

The roof of the gymnasium, on which the new school canteen also stands, is a completely accessible space: a large public square also for the use of the population.

Among the different access routes to the level, the long staircase perfectly camouflaged in the architectural lines of the south facade stands out for its architectural quality.

The complex is presented as an open system connected with the city, with which it dialogues and interacts beyond the educational function.

The outdoor public spaces are in fact characterized by a great variety of themed places: from the birch park to the basketball court, from the lavender hanging planter to the long pool / fountain that borders the canteen square on one side.

But the school-city integration is confirmed by the extensive mending of the pedestrian connections that characterize the urban fabric of Massagno.

The area is permeable and inclusive and invites to be crossed because it offers direct and safe routes.

The school becomes a daily presence for the whole community.

Property: Comune di Massagno

Project:
Durisch + Nolli Architetti, Massagno / Giraudi Radczuweit Architetti, Lugano

Structure: Lurati Muttoni Partner, Mendrisio

Construction: Quadri SA, Cadempino

Drytech Tank: 4,000 m²

Waterproofing garages and swimming pools

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Ra Curta residences Project A++, Lugano

Waterproofing the garages and swimming pools of a terraced villa complex, which follows the conformation of the terrain.

The emerging architectural elements of the Ra Curta residences follow the natural morphological elements of the lot, so that the project is strongly rooted and in balance with the context

The translation of the blocks downstream and the different heights lie harmoniously on the natural terrain, guaranteeing maximum privacy and visual channels to the lake.

The 4 blocks that are mirrored, accentuating symmetries and proportions, are crossed by two stairways that become urban connections between the streets of Montagnola.

Large terraces emerge from the ground like horizontal blades, the edges of which are made of different materials that form suspended frames and light eaves.

Particular attention was paid to brightness, while still maintaining a high level of privacy.

Drytech created both the hanging swimming pools and the underground waterproof structures, including the long and elegant access corridor to the private garages of the properties.

Promoter: Tognola Group, Lugano

General contractor: Abacho, Lugano

Project: A++, Lugano

Structure: Casanova Engineering Studio, Pazzallo

Construction: GTL, Gravesano

Drytech Tank: 4,200 m2

Waterproofing of the fuel tanks

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The fuel tanks of the service station of the new tourist port of Loano were built ashore by the company PB Lavori Marittimi of Ancona with the Drytech Tank technology

The waterproofing of the fuel tanks of the Loano marina represents the perfect application of the characteristics and qualities of the Drytech Tank.

The tanks of the new Loano harbour were built ashore by the company PB Lavori Marittimi Srl of Ancona in prefabrication on the pier and then launched at sea.

The construction of prefabricated tanks has the advantage of a more practical processing and with a higher quality standard, since the jet in water often produces gravel nests, regardless of the expertise and care of the diving technicians.

Where transport does not constitute an obstacle, the prefabricated tank is therefore preferred.

The tanks were built on the dock of the shipyard area of ​​the new port of Loano and Drytech Engineering collaborated with the designer already in the design phase, for the aspects related to waterproofing and the problems of transporting the tanks.

Made of XS2 exposure class waterproof concrete (submerged constructions in a marine environment), the tanks were again injected on the ground with DRYflex acrylic resin, which waterproofed the joints and shrinkage cracks by pressure. We then proceeded to lift and launch by sinking.

The 4 tanks were then welded with a crowning casting. Also this joint, prepared with the DRYset injection channel, was waterproofed for its entire thickness with DRYflex resin. After emptying it was therefore possible to carry out the final testing.

The Drytech Tank as a whole, and the DRYflex resin in particular, must ensure impermeability from aggressive elements such as sea water.

Construction: PB Maritime Works, Ancona

Waterproofing: Drytech Italy, Como

Waterproofing of the underground passage

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Insertion of waterstop tape in the cut made in the existing wall

The waterproofing of the underground passage connecting the new body to the main factory was realised with DRYset Injectable Waterstop Tape for movement joints.

The addition of a new body to the building of the Frigerio company in Locarno required the opening of a passage between the existing building and the new one.

The underground connection was made waterproof by inserting a continuous waterstop tape in the movement joint between the two bodies.

The DRYset injectable Waterstop Tape adds to the mechanical barrier function of traditional tapes the possibility of maintaining the joint over time, with possible re-injections of DRYflex expansive resin.

The profile of the Waterstop DRYset tape is in fact equipped with two micro-perforated ducts, through which the waterproofing resin can be injected and re-injected.

The tape was prepared in the Drytech laboratory and subjected to joint tightness tests before installation.

Access to the belt for any maintenance of the joint is guaranteed by cannulae accessible from the intrados of the building.

Owner: Poncini Holding SA, Locarno

Project: 3G Architetti SA, Tenero

Structure: Studio d’ingegneria Anastasi, Locarno

Construction: Gamboni e Salmina SA, Gordola

Waterproofing of the two underground floors

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The superficial grid of the Mendrisio regional hospital brings together the different distribution of spaces

Drytech realised the waterproofing of the two underground floors of the Mendrisio regional hospital, intended for laboratories, outpatients’ departments and operating theatres, and the extension of the underground garage.

The Ospedale Beata Vergine is located in an area on the edge of the historical centre, characterised by the presence of buildings surrounded by majestic gardens.

The positioning of the hospital expansion aims first and foremost to strengthen this ensemble through the definition of a public space: an urban park capable of offering a spatial quality to the buildings that stand on this place.

The main architectural choices of the new wing, such as the porticoed ground floor and the design of the facade, derive largely from the particular condition of a hospital building surrounded by a public space.

The semi-underground rooms, the underground ones and the extension of the garage with 127 parking spaces created under the new square were created with the Drytech Tank system.

The facade seeks an adequate response to the public situation of the building, allowing an open view towards the outside but at the same time closure and appropriate discretion for those looking from outside.

Through the twisting of standard aluminum profiles, a precise identity is given to the building. This surface grid makes the different distribution of spaces unified.

Project: Gaggini Studio D’Architettura, Lugano

Structure: Pianifica, Locarno

Works Management: Direzione Lavori, Lugano

Construction: Barella, Chiasso

Drytech Tank: 3’500 m2

Waterproofing the diaphragm wall of a five-storey underground

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In Piazza Sant'Ambrogio in Milan, the company Borio Mangiarotti S.p.A. built a five-storey underground car park.

Waterproofing the diaphragm wall of a five-storey underground car park with the Drytech Tank system increased the internal volume and the number of available parking spaces.

In Piazza Sant’Ambrogio, in Milan, the construction company Borio Mangiarotti S.p.A. built a five-storey underground car park.

Drytech has designed a waterproofing system for the diaphragm, based on Injectable Waterstop Tapes.

By making the diaphragm waterproof directly, it was not necessary to create the lining wall, thus increasing both the internal volume to comply with the legal limits, and the surface, or the parking spaces available.

The Injectable Waterstop Tape for the joints between the partitions of the diaphragms is a Drytech patent that makes it possible to maintain the joint with ex-post injections of resin, performed in the event of any infiltrations.

The Drytech tape is laid with a special sheet piling which acts as a formwork of the diaphragm wall.

The diaphragm of the parking lot that flanks the Milanese basilica drops to a depth of 22.70 meters and the laying of a sheet pile of this size required special care by the company’s technicians, to ensure perfect alignment of the joints.

At the end of the casting, the sheet pile is extracted, equipped with a new belt and repositioned for the casting of the next septum.

The re-injectability of the DRYflex resin guarantees the possibility of carrying out maintenance on the diaphragm at any time, by intervening from inside the structure, without excavation or demolition and, above all, without having to close the car park.

Client: Comune di Milano

Structure: Ingegner Domenico Insigna, Milano

Construction: Borio Mangiarotti SpA, Milano

Drytech Tank:
Diaphragm: 5,600 m², h 22.70 m
Bed: 3,300 m²

waterproofing of the AET headquarter

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The new administrative headquarters of AET in Monte Carasso (the Ticino Energy Company) produces more energy than it consumes.
The waterproofing of the Azienda Elettrica Ticinese headquarters with the Drytech Tank system is consistent with AET’s mission.

The new administrative headquarters of AET in Monte Carasso (the Ticino Energy Company) produces more energy than it consumes.

On the one hand it boasts maximum energy efficiency in every technical component inside the building, on the other it produces energy entirely derived from renewable sources.

A positive energy balance, consistent with the corporate mission, which makes it the public building with the best energy performance in the Canton.

Designed by architects Lukas Meyer, Ira Piattini and Francesco Fallavollita, the new administrative headquarters of the Ticinese Electric Company appears impenetrable or transparent, simply matching the point of view.

The core of the building is in fact set back from the modular concrete grid facade. What a surprising optical effect from the outside translates into visual comfort on the inside: the offices are in fact flooded with mostly indirect natural light.

The site is lapped by the Ticino river and a stretch of water has been created between the existing building and the new one.

The underground structure was therefore built with the Drytech Tank system: a waterproof construction of 1,190 m², which houses the technical rooms, changing rooms, warehouses and the AET general archive.

Client:
Azienda Elettrica Ticinese

Project: AArch. Lukas Meyer e Ira Piattini, Lugano + Fallavollita, Como

Structure: Tajana & Partner Ingegneria SA, Bellinzona / Spadea e Bondini, Lugano

Construction:
Bossi e Bersani SA, Bellinzona 

Drytech Tank: 1,190 m²

Waterproofing of the private garages

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Architect Diego Fumagalli designed the Gioia Garden residences starting from the classic Milanese palace.

Drytech carried out the waterproofing of the underground level for the private garages of the Gioia Garden residences in Viale Melchiorre Gioia in Milan.

Architect Diego Fumagalli designed the Gioia Garden 1 and 2 residences starting from the stylistic features of the classic Milanese palace with which they border.

He created an architectural continuity made up of citations and references, which harmonizes the relationship between the two buildings, enhancing their formal differences.

Starting from this connection, the buildings in via Melchiorre Gioia 177/179 develop their own architectural identity, fitting perfectly into the context.

At the point of contact between the two buildings, the height of the volumes was respected and, in Gioia Garden 1 and 2, the string courses of the residential levels are barely mentioned, to conceal the slight differences in the height of the floors compared to the historic building.

Once continuity with the existing one has been established, the architecture of the new building unfolds all its character: with the articulation of the facade through the volumes of the terraces and the deep recesses of the winter gardens; with the hanging gardens dotting the building at different levels; with the three additional floors, progressively set back from the main facade.

The tallest volume itself contains a further reference, taking up the horizontal shutters that characterize nineteenth-century architecture.

Due to the presence of the aquifer and the proximity to the Naviglio della Martesana, all the underground structures, including garages, were built with a 2,753 m2 Drytech Tank.

Project: Architect Diego Fumagalli, Milan

Structure: STG engineering, Milan

Construction: Domus Service CO, Milan

Drytech Tank: 2,753 m2