Palazzo Uffici INPDAP (INPDAP Office Building), Lucca

Located on Barsanti Matteucci Street, the INPDAP Office Building in Lucca is a distinctive example of post-war Italian architecture. Designed by architect Paolo Portoghesi in collaboration with Eugenio Abruzzini, the structure was completed in 1960 as part of the city's urban expansion beyond its historic walls.

The INPDAP Office Building features a complex layout, formed by the juxtaposition of three distinct volumes branching from a central hub containing two stairwells. The main entrance on the north side leads into a spacious distribution hall, which serves as the access point to various internal areas and corridors.

One of the key elements of the design is a smaller, two-story volume housing a large public hall on the ground floor, currently used as ASL (Local Health Authority) service counters. This hall is enclosed by continuous blind walls and crowned with a vaulted roof featuring exposed reinforced concrete beams—an architectural element visible from outside the building. The first floor contains service counters designated for INPDAP users, aligning with the public functions on the ground floor.

To the west, two three-level blocks accommodate medical clinics and ASL offices on the lower floors, while the uppermost level now houses INPDAP’s administrative offices. Notably, this floor was originally a residential space for the executive officer in charge until 1999.

This interplay of materials and forms fosters a dynamic yet disciplined architectural expression, foreshadowing Portoghesi’s later stylistic developments, particularly in the design of the Baldi House in Rome (1960). The Lucca headquarters thus stands as a significant early example of his evolving architectural language, blending structural clarity with a refined material palette that resonates with regional traditions.