Church of San'Antonio Abate in the Bergamo area. Interior renovation and new flooring

The rebuilding of the parish complex of Botta di Sedrina dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. In May 1933, based on a project by Eng. Gianfranco Mazzoleni, the construction of the new parish complex began in a central location, just south of the older nucleus in a panoramic position over the valley.

The new church, of simple and austere forms, consists of a single large nave with two chapels and presbytery, the exterior is characterized by a monumental three-arched narthex that represents the theme of the facade. For various reasons the building was not completed.

The inevitable removal of the floor, necessary for the construction of the under-floor space and the heating system necessitated a precise choice of materials and the design of the new one. Choices that were made after a careful analysis of the materials, finishes and colours already existing

In the space of the presbytery the liturgical furnishings, the benches and the semicircle of the choir belonging to the ancient baroque church give rise to an articulated combination of marble, wood and granite: red granite, lorgnette, roan yellow, goggles, Albino gray, waxed walnut wood.

In the nave the perimeter base made of orobic grey-pink arabesque is linked to the steps of the marble altars. All finishes are polished and reflective. The overall image and character generated by these materials and finishes were to be preserved and bound. In this sense the local materials belonging to the tradition are combined in a design. The new flooring, made with slabs of Zandobbio and ArabescatoOrobico marble inlays, fully meets the expectations, enhancing all the pre-existing materials in a mixture of lighter and brighter tones and colours distinguished by the chromatic and dimensional inversion between the nave and presbytery.

The design and composition of the slabs represents a compositional variation that conceptually stems from the measurements and rhythms present in the church itself. Specifically, a reinterpretation work has been carried out on the partition of the original facade of the project and on the design of the windows, two aspects that strongly characterize the identity of the building.

Another turning point concerns the longitudinal axis that crosses the entire nave and connects the entrance space to the presbytery. The project recognizes the importance of this axis by resolving the accentuation with a fading effect. The presence of the ArabescatoOrobico strips decreases towards the centre of the nave, while the greater lateral intensity ensures a more coherent and harmonious link with the existing base of the same material.