especially in San Marco, thanks to the public factories located in the areas of Orologio, Loggetta, Zecca and Libreria. Everywhere in the city, the long strips of metal start to dominate the shops populating the two sides of Rialto Bridge, the New Prisons and the Dogana. Lead covers have also been used for the votive churches of Redentore, Salute, San Giacomo di Rialto (the oldest in Venice) and the Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Throughout the centuries, the fascination for lead roofing never ceases to appeal and its usage is progressively extended to other types of buildings. Even though it is valued as a chemically stable metal with an extreme weather-resistance, lead has a high thermal dilatation coefficient. This flaw forced the piombèri — specialised artisans who fused the discarded lead and reshaped it into new slates — to plan creative solutions to keep them in place through the changing of seasons. Other alternatives on the market were likewise flawed. Copper, for example, was equally expensive, it would rapidly overheat, and it was not soundproof. Furthermore, when in contact with rains, copper would leak and stain the neighbouring surfaces. Pure zinc was available in Italy towards the end of the 1800s. After gaining a notable fame in the rest of Europe for its shimmery and clean aspect, it was discarded for being too tender and easily deformable. Moreover, zinc extraction slowed down during the World Wars, making it less popular and appealing. At the beginning of the 2000s, zinc-titanium — an alloy of zinc, titanium and copper — is sought after as a valid and lighter alternative to lead. It is equally able to bend and curve, as well as having the same ELEGANT shades and resistance. This alloy has a lower thermal dilatation coefficient and better resistance to traction due to its melting point (circa 429 °C vs. lead’s 327 °C). In Italy, the first factory of zinc-titaniumwas founded at the end of the 1990s in Porto Marghera and the production was initially only devoted to export. In 2003 the commercialisation was extended to the local territory after the establishment of the Zintek project and the registration of zintek® mark. The zintek® alloy soon proved to be a valid substitute to lead and other metals, as can be seen in the restoration of the ancient Palazzo delle Poste in Trieste, where new shingles made of zintek® were created following the original projects. In the historical centre of Venice, zinc-titanium has firstly been used in 2007 to restore the industrial architectural complex of Molino Stucky on the Giudecca island. The following year it has also been used for the renewal project of the boat platforms of vaporetti — the venetian water buses —as well as for the requalification of the Conterie in Murano (2015) and the Coffee Haus in the Royal Gardens of San Marco (2019). During the Biennale Architettura 2018, zintek® was used to cover one of the 10 votive chapels of the Vatican City pavilion, each of which has been designed by a different architect. The chapels — located on San Giorgio island — are now a permanent installation, as a tribute to how the synergy of architecture, ARCHITYPES 8 EXCERPT
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