Casa Chimera
The existing house, dating back to the 1990s and designed by architect Oreste Martelli Castaldi, is a brilliant example of organic architecture, defined by the design of spaces without borders, large windows and the use of materials that define a further panorama.
The residence, chosen by a young entrepreneur as a retreat, is a place in which to combine relaxation and fun, intimate moments and convivial occasions. The desire expressed by the owner was to reorganize the whole space, transforming the kitchen into the heart of the house, and creating a cinema room, an area to chill, along with new guests’ rooms.
Marcotulli's project seeked continuity between the old and the new, between the ground floor and basement level, between interior and exterior, through a new spatiality and the use of materials that play on the perceptive contrast of roughness/shine, abstraction/references to the landscape.
“The result we have achieved is a sort of metaphysical spaces, which alternate wooden cladding with mirrored surfaces, optical illusions, plays of light and amplified environments” explains the architect.
The continuity with the existing mood on the upper floors and the strong relationship with the outside have guided the material and chromatic choices of the project: the wood covering the ceiling is an upside-down reflection of the ground floor parquet flooring, yet with a raw, rough-almost unfinished appearance, put in contrast with the refinement of the mirrors that characterize large portions of the walls.
A continuous cement-resin surface with warm sand tones was chosen for the floor, in continuity with the existing terracotta.
The atmosphere of the bedrooms is harmonic with the common areas: wood, resin and mirrors outline a setting played on combinations that enhance the space, rather than decorate it. The same goes for the bathrooms, where the shine of the Portuguese Azulejo tiles pairs with the rougher grain of the Biancone marble sinks from Trani.
Inside the cinema room, however, everything changes: hidden behind sliding mirrored panels that isolate it from other rooms, it is conceived to provide an old fashioned experience : a floor carpet and wall panels covered in navy blue velvet. A soft and warming ambience, highlighted by chromed steel inserts and marked by the presence of wood on the ceiling which echoes with the other spaces.
“For the island kitchen we chose a less mimetic approach: its scenic presence is highlighted by the finish that recalls basalt stone, the only stone presence in the house that characterizes the fireplace area” concludes Marcotulli
