Casa in Piazza
Casa in Piazza is the renovation of a 1950s residential building on the main square of Sammichele di Bari, adjacent to the Chiesa Matrice. The project reconfigures the interior around a central nucleus and remodels the piazza facade — replacing the original openings with three full-height French doors whose rhythm reinterprets the pattern of the surrounding buildings.
Casa in Piazza is the renovation of a residential building on the main square of Sammichele di Bari, adjacent to the Chiesa Matrice. The existing structure dates from the 1950s, itself the result of a partial demolition and reconstruction of an earlier palazzotto. Over time, the building had lost its original relationship with the urban fabric.
The project operates on two fronts: the reorganisation of the interior around a central nucleus that eliminates the compartmentalisation of the living area, and the remodelling of the facade toward the piazza. The original configuration of two French doors and one window was replaced by three full-height French doors with single-leaf frames and foldable shutters, whose rhythm reinterprets the openings of the neighbouring buildings. A slight projection of the upper facade plane above a full-height window marks the new architectural composition.
During construction, particular attention was given to the technical execution of the openings: galvanised iron portals and OSB panels were installed prior to the surrounding walls and insulation layers, ensuring a new flush facade plane that erases the pre-existing modernist frame. The single balcony on the piazza features an iron balustrade integrated into the floor structure, finished in a shade of green historically used for shutters in southern Italy, recovered through dedicated research.
The interiors respond to contemporary living through an open, fluid distribution. The living area opens directly onto the piazza, while the sleeping area remains private, accessed through a coloured corridor. A central block accommodating the staircase, kitchen wall, and living room wall functions as an internal fulcrum around which the domestic spaces are organised. The rooftop terrace is rethought as a roof patio, establishing a direct visual relationship with the clock tower and the bell tower.
