Villa Paradiso in Moltrasio

Under construction

CLIENT: Private

LOCATION AND CHRONOLOGY: Moltrasio (Como) - 2016/2020

TEAM CREDITS: Lorenzo Noè with Riccardo Prati, Valentina Lapris, Chiara Zanetti, Sarah Roubach

DIMENSION: Floor area 300 sqm

CONSTRUCTION BUDGET: 1.100.000,00 Euro

In 2014, after abundant rainfall, the containment wall of Villa Paradiso's garden in Moltrasio collapsed. The owner immediately considered reconstruction, taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the local regulations to include a garage, a small apartment and a swimming pool. Villa Paradiso rises in an area of great environmental value, subject to landscape protection regulations. The authority supervising the landscape and architectural heritage requested to limit the façade openings to the minimum, reconstructing the wall as if it was built in the 19th century. A great design challenge: to create a volume overlooking the lake as a wall, but allowing you to enjoy natural lighting and a view from the internal spaces. Therefore the project was born based on this idea: to build a solid wall supporting the garden, affected by a cavity - a caries -inside which developing a continuos window. A winding path partially tree-lined led from the road to the villa before the collapse: the approach was gradual and with constant change of perspective. In the new configuration the path keeps its slow pace going along the swimming pool towards both North and South, changing direction and altitude and connecting the different levels of access between the main road and the entries to the villa and its outbuilding.The outside walls are built with Moltrasio stone, most coming from the construction site, positioned horizontaly to get a texture similar to historic walls. The simple design iron balustrade develops like a continuous ribbon along the pool. The volume of the elevator is lined with highly reflecting steel panels, mirroring the landscape and therefore mingling reflexion and reality. The pool bottom and walls are covered with a black coating that gives the water the deep shades typical of the lake.