The hyperbolic paraboloid roof of the Teatro Regio in Turin by Felice Bertone

Abstract

The historical analysis of the structural features of Carlo Mollino’s Teatro Regio, built in Turin in the early 70s, gives evidence of peculiar technical and expressive solutions worth being studied. In addition to the well-known “special structures,” conceived by Sergio Musmeci, Teatro Regio includes a magnificent example of reinforced concrete doubly curved shell used for the lyric hall’s large-span roof. The roof was designed and built by Felice Bertone, an Italian engineer who devoted his activity to daring reinforced concrete design. In this study, the original theatre configuration is redrawn, modeled, and discussed based on archival documentation. This unique hypar thin shell concrete roof is thoroughly described focusing on its intertwined geometric and static features. Bertone’s roofing parametric modeling is eventually presented including a critical interpretation of its structural behavior carried out through qualitative and quantitative analysis. The Teatro Regio architecture with its innovative forms and structural solutions represents an outstanding example of Modern Heritage Architecture.