On the north-eastern border of the Republic of San Marino, at the foot of the hillside that characterizes this area, Oneworks was commissioned to design a new luxury outlet destination to support the local community and tourism from local towns.

The project assumptions originate with the territorial context, in addition to the commercial objectives. Context is the interventions topography, which uses the hillside to create a “vertical” complex. Terraced parking lots follow the terrains natural profile and the interior pedestrian path winds following a slight slope diagonally across the hillside. An unusual solution for a commercial space, the design concept allows one to read the site topography and at the same time drastically reduces building footprint.

Context is also the topological nature of the intervention, where space is generated and given form by buildings whose historical references are those of hillside constructions, the scale of the public spaces in relationship to the built volumes, the “overall picture” recognizable in the local panorama, and the prevalence of collective space over individual buildings.

Finally, the context is the subject matter, its articulation and variation within a common register, and the choice of materials and their ability to innovate.

The proposed settlement scheme, which meanders gradually along the hillside permits one to ascend diagonally, fully compatible with commercial activity along the way. The four squares at the extremities, connected by escalators/elevators, allow for alternative routes. All buildings and their shops face onto this path, configured as a sequence of common spaces, typically urban, which can host events of various nature.

Three diverse materials make up the facades, the same are differentiated through perforations, reliefs, and multiple patterns enriching the overall view as one approaches individual buildings.