Riva’s Historic Bank Building to Undergo Renovation and Reuse

Among the many construction sites that have sprung up in Riva in recent days (a November tradition that has repeated itself for years), one that undoubtedly deserves attention is the historic headquarters of Cassa di Risparmio di Trento e Rovereto, in Piazza Garibaldi. Indeed, the ongoing work here for several days concerns the ground floor, but will soon be followed by the renovation of the entire building, which recently was transferred by Caritro to a company affiliated with the well-known Riva entrepreneur Giancarlo Lotti.

Building interventions and change of use

The building intervention already underway is quite straightforward and is the logical consequence of the transfer of Caritro‘s operational offices to San Nazzaro. On the ground floor of Piazza Garibaldi, the bank can now settle for a smaller space, primarily dedicated to counters and tourist-commercial interests.

While Lotti’s company prepares the south wing—where the branch will be located once work is completed—Caritro continues to operate normally in the north wing of the building. Following this, under the project by engineers Marco Fontana and Antonio Lotti, the restoration of the historic building, dating back to the early 20th century, will be comprehensive: the piazza will change its appearance while maintaining the same architectural balance established by the designers of the Riva Liberty style.

Restoration and new functions

Once completed, the building (without volume additions) is expected to host approximately the same twelve apartments it currently contains (most of which are vacant). The most interesting novelty will be a gallery that, starting from the current entrance of Caritro—which as mentioned will be relocated to the south—will not only provide a different access point to the residential area but will also open a series of shops on the side of the building facing via Maffei.