The Sports Center comprises a gymnasium and two outdoor tennis courts, integrated into a single complex conceived as a large enclosed courtyard measuring 69 by 41.5 meters and surrounded by brick walls.
Its location—set on two large terraces in the upper part of the campus, near the entrance from Via dei Vestini—ensures easy access for both external athletes and spectators.
The courts are arranged in a comb-like layout alongside a narrow service building. Above this structure, a 2.6-meter-wide walkway, sheltered by a wooden pergola, connects the parking level with the spectator stands.
This elevated path serves not only as the main circulation route within the facility but also as a key observation point: enclosed by glazed walls, it overlooks the sports courts on one side and the University campus valley on the other.
The gymnasium is characterised by a large metal roof and a full-height glazed wall facing the inner courtyard.
Visually detached from the brick walls by a continuous clerestory window, the roof appears as an independent metal element extending outward in a broad cantilever to shelter the tennis court stands.
Visually detached from the brick walls by a continuous clerestory window, the roof appears as an independent metal element extending outward in a broad cantilever to shelter the tennis court stands.
A double set of bleachers, oriented in opposite directions, separates the gymnasium from the tennis courts, providing spectator areas for both facilities. A row of centrally positioned metal columns supports a large glazed partition, creating a transparent divide between the audiences of the gymnasium and the tennis courts.
This layout allows each facility to function independently while maintaining strong visual and spatial connectivity when sporting activities take place simultaneously.
The gymnasium changing rooms are located beneath the bleachers and are accessed via a projecting staircase block that interrupts the continuity of the long elevation facing the valley.
Two additional entrances are provided: one on the valley-facing side and another from the forecourt, which is accessible from Via dei Vestini. The latter entrance is designed to accommodate both persons with disabilities and emergency vehicles. On the northern side of the complex, a small square-plan structure measuring 5.3 meters per side houses the boiler room on the ground floor and public restrooms on the upper level. 
These facilities are connected to the stands by a bridge-like walkway clad in metal panels. The roof of this block, also constructed with a painted grey metal structure, features a four-sided pitched design that converges around the boiler flue.
Access to the tennis courts is provided by an open staircase linked to the pergola-covered walkway. Near this entrance, along the eastern perimeter wall, a small uncovered set of bleachers provides additional seating for spectators.
The tennis changing rooms are located in the southern building, beneath the pergola walkway. 
The building is constructed with load-bearing solid brick masonry, two bricks thick, left exposed in the characteristic yellow hue typical of the region.
In the upper part of the gymnasium, a series of hollow steel columns rest on a continuous reinforced-concrete beam embedded within the masonry. These columns rise to support the roof structure, intersecting the clerestory window.
The roof spans 24.15 meters and consists of welded steel trusses 1.5 meters high, with a 6-meter cantilever extending over the tennis court bleachers.
The roof slab is made of insulated corrugated metal sheeting, as are the lateral enclosures. Externally, these are clad with riveted sheet-metal strips painted grey, matching the finish of all metal elements and window frames.
Rainwater from the roof is discharged through four large painted sheet-metal spouts projecting from the west side of the building. 
The size and orientation of the playing fields—slightly rotated from the north-south axis—comply with the standards of CONI (Italian National Olympic Committee) for the certification of competitive sports facilities.
The facility accommodates up to 150 seats in the gymnasium and 285 in the tennis court stands.
The gymnasium’s playing area, featuring a parquet floor, measures 38 by 19 meters and can host a variety of competitive sports, including volleyball, basketball, handball, and five-a-side football.
On the short southern side of the hall, there is a storage room for sports equipment and an office for the C.U.S. staff responsible for facility management and supervision.
The tennis courts are surfaced with green-set synthetic material and equipped with lighting for evening use. This building received the European Prize for Sports Facilities in 1986.

The Rectorate is a large rectangular structure measuring 101.20 by 24 meters, positioned transversely along the slope of the terrain. It rises two stories above ground on the upper side and five on the valley-facing side.

Located at the main entrance to the campus on Via dei Vestini, the building is intersected by an internal pedestrian thoroughfare that connects the upper and lower parts of the site.

Towards its end, the pathway becomes stepped and culminates in a large hall designed to function as an auditorium.

Both the chosen location—positioning the building as a symbolic “gateway” to the campus—and the inclusion of distinctive architectural elements such as the internal passage and the auditorium reflect the intention to create a facility that is not isolated, but open and seamlessly with the city. 

The three-block layout informs both the functional organisation and the structural configuration of the building.

The lateral wings contain offices, open corridors, and vertical circulation elements, while the central span accommodates the pedestrian pathway and, depending on the level, incorporates common areas, archives and service rooms.

Owing to the separation created by the sloped section of the internal street, the cross-connections between the two wings are positioned at different points on each floor.

Longitudinally, the building is divided into two sectors, separated by external metal staircases that cast deep shadows along the façades.

Although these sectors differ in the architectural design of their roofs, they maintain a strong sense of unity through consistent volumetric alignments and the continuity of the internal circulation route.

The uphill sector consists of two blocks overlooking a glass-covered internal street. 

This configuration creates a double-height gallery, 50 meters long and 7.3 meters wide, functioning as a central atrium for the entire University campus.

On the upper level, the two lateral wings accommodate the offices of the Rector and the Administrative Director, as well as the meeting room of the Academic Senate.

On the lower level are located the offices that interact more directly with the public.

The gallery is spanned by two connecting walkways constructed with exposed steel truss beams and fitted with tempered-glass railings.

Its main structure consists of a series of IPE steel beams, 100 centimeters in height and spaced 6.4 meters apart.

The profile of the dual-pitched glazed roof, made of pre-painted aluminum, is fully contained within the web of the main beams, leaving both the underside and upper face exposed.

This design accentuates the structural rhythm, generating a dense interplay of shadow lines along the interior walkway. 

The second sector houses the auditorium and its associated service areas, which occupy the upper two levels of the building.

The horizontal circulation path transitions into a stepped ramp, flanked on both sides by offices and culminating above in the auditorium.

The ramp begins at a width of 4.8 meters and gradually widens to 5.4 meters through a gentle flare that opens towards the main auditorium.

The auditorium is a trapezoidal hall set within the building’s rectangular footprint, its distinct volume clearly visible from the surrounding circulation spaces.

The stepped seating arrangement follows the slope of the internal pathway, descending toward the valley.

The hall accommodates 320 people and can operate independently from the University’s administrative areas.

Access to the auditorium is provided through two side lobbies connected by a slender glass walkway, 2.4 meters wide, which bridges over the stepped ramp below.

This design unifies the entry sequence at the upper foyer level while maintaining visual continuity along the interior circulation route.

The auditorium roof, spanning the full width of the building, is constructed with exposed steel trusses clad in painted aluminum panels with a grey finish.

The floor structures are composed of corrugated metal decking, while the auditorium floor itself is finished in oak parquet.

The lower portions of the side walls, up to a height of approximately 2 meters, are clad with wooden slat panelling whose variable spacing is designed to enhance acoustic absorption.

The suspended ceiling is composed of plasterboard panels with curved profiles that follow the stepped seating arrangement and are shaped to optimise sound reverberation.

The seats are upholstered in red, fire-retardant synthetic fabric. 

On either sides of the auditorium, two mezzanines overlook the hall, accommodating the lighting systems and stage equipment.

At the short end of the building, behind the stage, circulation routes connect the staircases of the lateral wings. These corridors face the former Faculty of Humanities through continuous horizontal windows.

The building is clad in exposed brick, except for the central portion of the southern façade, which is finished in travertine.

The internal circulation route is entirely paved with bush-hammered travertine slabs.

In the stepped section, the walls are lined with polished travertine panels measuring 100 by 50 centimeters.

Both the upper and lower entrances are fitted with vertically sliding metal gates that retract into the floor. 

The design of the Utility Plant responds to two primarily requirements, as it serves the entire University complex: the substantial size of the facility and the need for a location as centrally positioned as possible in relation to the various University buildings.

The selected site lies uphill from the department buildings of the former Faculty of Humanities and Philosophy, aligned parallel to their main axis. Together, they define an elongated courtyard measuring 55 by 15 meters.

To minimise the volume above ground, most of the facility—within the limits of technical and regulatory constraints—has been constructed underground, beneath the hill to the north of the departmental buildings. 

This solution reduces the visual impact of the intervention, limiting its above-ground presence to an artificial edge at the base of the hill.

The architectural expression of the Utility Plant is concentrated along a long, porticoed southern façade that shelters a wall entirely clad in metal sheeting. Along this wall are large sliding gates and ventilation grilles serving the technical rooms.

On the roof, a terrace walkway overlooks the courtyard and supports a small metal tower that houses the chimneys. The tower, rectangular in plan, is divided into two protective enclosures for the flues, separated by an open service staircase.

At the top, the cylindrical chimney stacks rise visibly above the structure, bringing the total height of the tower to twelve meters. 

On the hill opposite the Cittadella della Scienza, two specialised medical research centers are currently under construction: the Center for Advanced Studies and Technologies (C.A.S.T.) and the Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technologies (I.T.A.B.).

The building programme for these centers was developed during the final design phase of the campus.

The main challenge, therefore, was to integrate them coherently within the overall master plan.

To reinforce the visual axis originating from the former Faculty of Humanities, the new buildings were positioned along the edge of the valley, aligned with the educational complex.

Given their similar functions—and in anticipation of possible future expansion—the two buildings were conceived as components of a single typological system.

This approach emphasises unity along the valley-facing frontage while allowing for volumetric variation on the southern sides.

The basic layout of both buildings consists of two elongated linear volumes, separated by a central band that functions either as small internal courtyards or as shared common areas.

The north-facing wings are characterised by a system of towers containing stairwells alternating with lift shafts, interspersed with slimmer volumes whose façades display a pronounced horizontal articulation.

The roofs maintain a constant elevation, resulting in a progressive increase in tower height along the natural slope of the terrain.

The Ce.S.I. building comprises four above-ground levels and a basement level that accommodates the data processing center, a conference hall, and the secondary utility plant.

At entrance level are the administration offices, together with a triple-height library space located in the central zone and illuminated from above.

The upper floors accommodate the various research units.

The linear volume facing the valley, designated for laboratory use, is fully glazed and features a series of narrow metal balconies running along its façade. 

In the I.T.A.B. facility, the wing opposite the valley reaches a maximum height of two storeys and includes, at the entrance level, the reception area, diagnostic departments with controlled-access zones, a data processing area, and the MRI suite, while in the basement are located the conference room, utility plants, and a parking garage.

The atria along the lower façade are sheltered by large cantilevered slabs.

On the inner side of this section, a glazed corridor overlooks the patios, creating a strong sense of visual continuity with them.

In the central span, the two patios are separated by glazed volumes housing circulation areas and waiting areas.

The towered wing, benefiting from a secondary open frontage, is organised with generous north-facing corridors overlooking the valley, while the south-facing side contains study rooms and guest accommodations illuminated by continuous horizontal windows.

In both buildings, the solid exterior surfaces are clad in travertine panels, while the metal components and window frames are made of pre-painted aluminum in grey.

Seemingly independent from the other components of the University complex, the Cittadella della Scienza appears as a compact core positioned along the eastern edge of the site.

This configuration makes it possible to accommodate the substantial volume required by the healthcare area within a unified complex, while at the same time establishing an architectural boundary that functions as a buffer between the campus and the nearby hospital.

Most of the required surface area is distributed across a large terrace, forming an artificial platform from which the overlying buildings emerge.

The footprint of this base, trapezoidal in shape, is firmly integrated into the overall campus layout: the western side lies perpendicular to the main axis of the former Faculty of Humanities, while the southern side aligns with the visual axis opening towards the valley. 

The buildings are arranged in two rows of parallel volumes.

Their northwest–southeast orientation, set transversely to the natural slope of the site, allows for broad visual openings towards the uphill side.

Starting from Via dei Vestini, the blocks are positioned in sequence, with a small building featuring a glass-covered courtyard located near the main entrance. 

Along the central spine road, the buildings are linked by narrower, lower structures, forming a comb-like layout with mirrored courtyards.

These connecting volumes, constructed of steel and glass, contain the entrance halls and lobbies, and—at alternating intervals—semi-circular glazed stairwells leading down to the classroom level below. 

The base structure is primarily used across two levels. On the lower floor, the interior zones accommodate garages, while the perimeter areas and the upper level house laboratories, clinical outpatient facilities, and a series of large teaching classrooms.

The roof of the base forms a large accessible terrace, intersected by narrow elongated patios alternating with square courtyards.

The square patios are crossed by broad staircases descending towards the classroom level, creating a sense of centrality within the courtyards of the various faculties.

The western edge of the terrace is defined by a row of trees planted in raised containers running parallel to the parapet while the pedestrian plaza on the eastern side is also fully planted with trees.

The linear buildings rise five storeys above ground and measure 54 by 11.4 meters in plan.

The distance between their long façades is 17.5 meters.

The end buildings—located respectively at the Via dei Vestini entrance and on the southern valley side—are distinguished by their greater depth, measuring 14 meters across.

The south-facing buildings extend beyond the edge of the base platform, creating a large glazed façade that appears to rest directly on the valley slope.

The base structure is clad in exposed brickwork, while the faculty buildings feature ventilated façades finished with travertine panels.

The former Faculty of Humanities and Philosophy is situated where the slope meets the flat terrain.

It is organised into three buildings arranged around a narrow valley—preserved as a grassy area—facing towards the historic city center.

The building housing the departments and the library stands at the highest point of the site and is designed according to a comb-like layout, with open courtyards facing south.

The first two courtyards, partially built over at ground level, form walkable terraces overlooking the central lawn. 

The last two courtyards are set directly on the ground, preserving the natural slope of the terrain.

In the western section, the comb-like layout is mirrored, creating two additional small covered courtyards designated for the library.

The central longitudinal spine, containing the stairwells, lobbies, and restrooms, distribute access to the departmental courtyards on the south side, the library on the north side, and —at the western end —the administrative core with meeting rooms and the Dean’s offices. 

The building has a total length of 131 meters.

Owing to the constant height of the eaves and the steep slope of the site, the building presents varying elevations on its different sides—reaching a maximum height of 14 meters on the valley side and 7 meters on the uphill side.

The departmental wings, which generally follow a central-corridor distribution scheme, are 10.4 meters deep and alternate with courtyards measuring 21 by 17.2 meters.

The main entrance is located beneath a covered passageway, aligned with the administrative core and positioned near the square that links the complex to the teaching center and the auditorium.

From this entrance, an internal stepped ramp begins, running parallel to the building's main circulation spine. It crosses the structure longitudinally, intersecting at various levels with the departmental wings on one side and the library spaces on the other.

This 3.6-meter-wide ramp functions as an internal street that ascends the hill, gradually decreasing in vertical clearance as it rises. Natural light filters through a glazed steel roof structure.

At the uppermost level, the comb-like arms of the building bridge over the gallery path, forming laboratory spaces.

The stepped ramp is paved with bush-hammered travertine slabs, while the walls are clad in exposed brickwork.

The library consists of three wings forming two study halls, distributed across two above-ground floors and one basement level.

The central volume between the two halls accommodates the entrance, catalogue area, administration, and offices.

The reading rooms are designed as two small courtyards enclosed by lightweight metal structures, facing north towards the countryside through large full-height glazed façades. 

The library has a capacity of approximately 200,000 volumes.

The book storage and distribution system follows a mixed arrangement, typical of a university library: part of the collection is housed in the basement storage areas, served by book lifts, while the remainder is located directly within the reading rooms and study booths, ensuring easy access for users.

The roof structure of each hall consists of a criss-cross system of steel trusses supporting corrugated metal decking.

Inside, coffered suspended ceilings in plasterboard taper in section towards the large aluminum-framed window.

The flooring in both the reading halls and the elevated walkways is finished in oak parquet. 

The building's structure is made of reinforced concrete.

The external walls feature air cavities and are constructed using single-wythe semi-solid facing bricks laid in a Gothic bond pattern.

The short façade of the terminal block on the valley side—facing one of the campus's main circulation paths—is accentuated by cladding in polished travertine panels, as are the terraces in the first two courtyards.

All external window frames and metal components are made of pre-painted aluminum in grey.