Palazzo Pacanowski, Modern palace in San Ferdinando district, Naples, Italy
Palazzo Pacanowski is a modern palace in the San Ferdinando district featuring a U-shaped form that wraps around a central garden courtyard overlooking the sea. The facade displays horizontal ribbon windows and reinforced concrete bands, while the structure contains ten levels including four underground floors.
The palace was built between 1959 and 1966 following an architectural competition won by Davide Pacanowski to design the new headquarters for SET. The structure was originally conceived to serve as the organization's main administrative base.
Since 2010, the building houses law and economics faculties of Università Parthenope, serving as an active educational space. Students and faculty move through its corridors daily, giving the palace a new purpose beyond its original function.
The building sits on Pizzofalcone hill and provides open sightlines across the Gulf of Naples from its location. Visitors should be aware of the lower levels where ancient tuff cavities remain integrated into the modern structure.
The four underground levels integrate ancient tuff cavities that formed naturally within the hill. This blend of contemporary design with prehistoric geology creates an unusual architectural feature.
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