Passive cooling strategies in the Mediterranean building tradition: The Zisa Complex in Palermo

Abstract

In 2015, the Arab-Norman route of Palermo has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site: among its monuments, the Zisa complex constitutes an extraordinary example of a building typology with unique technological and environmental characteristics because it combines the expert stonework craftsmanship with some passive air conditioning systems to improve indoor comfort. The building was erected by Arab craftsmen for the sultan’s summer entertainment. It was characterized by the presence of passive systems that guaranteed satisfactory levels of comfort even today. These have been evaluated using fluid dynamics software capable of simulating the indoor comfort conditions available within the different environments of the Zisa. The results are an added value to the knowledge of a monument that is almost unique in its kind in the entire Mediterranean basin.