It is the first experience museum dedicated to the five senses in Italy: it is the City of children and Teenagers, reborn under the Genoa Aquarium, where there was previously a shopping gallery. Open to the public from the beginning of December after an important redevelopment project, it was inaugurated in a completely renovated look at the end of 2022, as part of the celebrations for the 30th anniversary of the birth of Porto Antico area.
Innovative, breathable, effective: a continuous floor in IPM Italia’s resin for every environment
The City of Children and Teenagers is a permanent experiential journey, which uses the five senses as a tool to transmit knowledge and have fun, activating a process of education and a critical spirit in children and teenagers with respect to the provided stimulation. Through direct experience, users become protagonists of their knowledge and not mere observers of external reality.
Inside the structure, there is an entire area – Splash – expressly dedicated to the 2-4 years children, a protected place to move around and learn while having fun in freedom. Four other areas dedicated to the senses – a room for hearing, on for touch, one for taste and smell and one for sight – offer installations suitable for everyone, with varying degrees of complexity and learning objectives depending on the level of age.
Approximately 2,000 square meters of exhibition space is available to children from 2 to 12 years with over 40 exhibits were, together with their parents or other accompanying adults, they can embark on a real journey of world discovering and self-discovering. An environment as a whole innovative, technological, colorful, contemporary and surprising in the scenographic settings, studied in every detail. A contemporary museum where every element becomes indispensable for optimal use, including the flooring.
In this context, the IPM Marine division of IPM Italia intervened in collaboration with CEIP Srl – the company entrusted with the redevelopment yard, one of the major national players in the formulation, production and installation of seamless floors in resin for indoors and natural grit for outdoors in the industrial, commercial and residential sectors.
The company took care of all the floors and resin coatings of the interiors, thus making the concept of the spaces concrete, developed by Filmmaster Events for Porto Antico di Genova SpA and Costa Edutainment SpA.
IPM Blindo: the high thickness epoxy screed system with monochromatic finish for the recovery of old deteriorated floor
Followed by the project and construction site by Andrea Penati, CEO Technical Director of IPM Italia who said:
“The peculiarity of this construction site is that it was a real recovery operation. It was possible thanks to IPM Italia systems that allows the creation of the cladding without demolition and in a short time on any support. IPM Blindo is our high-thickness epoxy screed system specific for the recovery of old cracked and deteriorated floor, which we have added with Tecnhibond fibers to increase the cohesion of the system, regularizing the uneven parts.
We were thus able to recover the old tile flooring, reducing costs and construction times and successfully intervening on the two critical elements: the detachment zones and the altitude recovery in those areas where the floor had collapsed”.
IPM Blindo, in particular, is the IPM Italia system in high thickness epoxy mortar (from 4 mm to over 15 mm), waterproof fiber-reinforced trowelled, with high mechanical and chemical resistance. Depending on the thickness, it increases the compressive strength of the concrete up to 4 times. Its high thickness also allows a repair of the loads and increase the resistance of the concrete by about three times.
IPM Blindo it has very low VOC emissions and offers high chemical and mechanical performance: it is ideal for the redevelopment of existing floors that are heavily deteriorated of polluted by liquids.
Optimize slopes and height recovery and reduce plant shutdowns thanks to working with “wet earth” mortar. In the 7 mm to 15 mm version it allows the recovery of slopes and flatness.
Impressive resin flooring with IPM Aquaperm® Design: eco-friendly technology, performance and resistance
The recovery of the old flooring was followed by the laying of all the surface covering floors with IPM Aquaperm® Design, the eco-friendly system by IPM Italia that combines performance, resistance, aesthetics.
IPM Aquaperm® Design is a decorative transpiring water-dispersed system wait a brushed effect, specific for new or worn concrete floors, suitable for medium-high foot traffic. It offers excellent flatness (in environments with high ambient humidity), anti-dust and anti-oil action and is extremely easy to clean. It guarantees excellent mechanical characteristics, as well as an aesthetic appearance of great impact. It is quick to install and can be added with IMP Sanix, capable of eliminating up to 99.9% of bacteria from surfaces.
IPM Aquaperm® it is also in accordance with references, policies and rules of the LEED Certification : a concrete response to a project that was developed with full respect for the environment and sustainability and a confirmation of IPM Italia’s commitment as a company that is always careful and sensitive to the sustainable evolution of the building industry.
The innovative water dispersion technology of IPM Aquaperm® Design allows bright and satin finishes, no shrinkage and high chemical and mechanical resistance, with values comparable to solvent free systems. The IPM Aquaperm® technology resists high humidity rates, such as ports and marines’ environments of Genoa, and strong osmotic counterthrusts and can be applied on concrete that has not yet cured and on most substrates. Perfect for exhibition hall, museums and showrooms IPM Aquaperm® Design is made with zero VOC products, offers resistance and rapidity of placing.
“In the areas where it was necessary to insert the adhesive prints that trace the shapes and exhibition paths of the rooms directly on the resinous support, a finishing layer with a slight degree of non-slip was applied to make the use of the room even safer for children”, concludes Penati.
IPM Aquaperm® Design contributes to making the spaces of the City of Children and Teenagers welcoming, harmonious and continuous, in accordance with the emotional journey that visitors experience during the visit.
Project sheet
La Città dei Bambini e dei Ragazzi
Location: Genova
Year: 2022
Surface: circa 2000 mq
Construction site principal: Porto Antico di Genova SpA e Costa Edutainment SpA
Contractor: CEMIP Srl
Preparation and recovery of deteriorated pavement: IPM Blindo e fibre Technibond
Resin coating: IPM Aquaperm® Design