Transformation house WE in Morcote
Situation and initial condition
The property undergoing renovation consists of two parcels: a small lakeside parcel with direct access to the water, including a small boathouse and boat landing, and - on the opposite, mountainside of the road - a large garden parcel on steep terrain with the main house.
Both properties are situated in an attractive location between the historic village center of Morcote and the famous Parco Scherrer, with a direct relationship to Lake Lugano and the Italian town of Porto Ceresio and its hilly landscape across the lake.
Both the main building and the boathouse are built from old masonry with natural stone walls. While the boathouse has largely retained its original character, the main building lost its original identity during a renovation in the 1970s. The most recent renovation also created an unclear entrance situation due to a steep exterior staircase added to the side.
Architecture
The architectural concept for the renovation of the main building aims to reveal - or rather revive - the lost aesthetic and cultural qualities of the existing structure, using both traditional and contemporary elements.
The main entrance is relocated back to what is presumed to be its original position, centered on the street façade. From there, one enters a tall, archaic entrance hall paved with natural stone, from which a new interior staircase leads directly to the upper floors. A second staircase provides access to all floors from the garden side.
Through this dual staircase concept - interior and exterior - the top main floor is experientially connected as closely as possible to the lakeside parcel with the boathouse.
The top floor, containing the kitchen, living, and dining areas, is experienced as a glazed outdoor loggia, with generous openings toward the lake as well as toward the garden on the mountain side, supported by the new monopitch roof.
Although the façades of the building are constructed of massive natural stone and brick masonry, they likely always carried a plaster finish. Given the building’s close relationship to its extended context - being directly connected on both sides to the village center and Parco Scherrer through natural stone walls - its cultural anchoring in the place is of particular importance.
For the exterior façades, a traditional, locally typical lime plaster in a brickred tone was therefore chosen, which was also used for the interior to achieve a unified sense of generosity. Research during construction confirmed that the historic building had indeed been plastered in exactly this color until the renovation of the 1970s.
The boathouse was preserved largely in its original condition.
