Built by German troops during the second world war next to a rocky wall emerging from the hills, the property stands at the foot of the monumental complex dedicated to St Anthony Abbot and overlooks the valley.
The project involved an aesthetic, distributional and structural upgrade of the existing building and an adjacent extension, which requires a respectable separation from the former, testifying to the temporal and conceptual distance that separates the two volumes.
The extension was conceived as an ‘essential’ volume, partly hidden by the luxuriant ivy unravelling from the roof.
The charming position suggested the making of a corner window, clearly cut into the new block, in a play of volumes that emphasises the essential nature of the forms.
The living area is organised around the large, round, central fireplace, which becomes the main hub of the room, and the staircase against the rocky wall, which becomes an internal feature of the building. The staircase separates from this towards a ‘slot’ intended to absorb the damp given off by the stone, continuing, on the floor area, with a resin coating. The outline of the staircase on the ceiling is transformed into a light well that illuminates the connection from above.
The design of the fitted interior furnishings and the definition of the external spaces, with the reuse of elements found on site, or with new furniture made by local craftsmen, completes the operation giving it singularity and charm.