Garda lake, 2014-2016
The little tower is situated between the old town of Garda and Punta San Vigilio. In front of the lake shore, it commands a beautiful view.
The tower rises inside the park of a private villa, and can be reached by water thanks to the relevant landing pier.
As an historical building, the tower has undergone many rearrangements over time, of which the latest during the seventies. This reorganisation turned it into a holiday house, as the villa’s annex.
The living area (kitchen, dining and living) was located at the ground floor, while the sleeping area and bathroom to the upper floor; the outer ladder wrapped the circular shape of the tower to reach the terrace.
Photo of the tower before the intervention. Note the humidity sign on the walls
The tower renovation project concerns the upgrading of the outer surface of the building, masonry restoration, indoor humidity management, a new distribution of low impact systems, and a new interior design.
The split between the sleeping area and the living area on two levels has been maintained, converting the residential areas into a contemporary key, with particular attention to tiny spaces and the circular shape of the tower. The existing staircase in marble blocks is part of the non-original reorganization; the cor-ten covering has allowed to consolidate the deteriorated and dangerous steps.
The project proposed the removal of plaster by showing the original texture of the walls, that became the protagonist of the scene, as you can see from the render shown below.
Final rendering of interior design
As shown by the images below, during construction works the initial test on the outer wall has confirmed the type of wall structure previously supposed. Then, the whole nonoriginal plaster has been stripped off, both internally and externally, by promoting the natural permeability of the masonry and radically changing its appearance.
The wall texture is repaired and reconstructed where necessary
How the exterior of the tower looks like today after the removal of the plaster layer. A careful work of “sewing and unstitching” has been done, in order to replace damaged pieces and keep the wall structure as its best.
The interior design, supported with great energy and ability from the property, has a “spartan” vocation, linked to its function as a holiday house, but also to the nature of the original building. The lighting system has been studied ad hoc, as well as the design of custom furnishings, the choice of materials and textures.
The circular entrance level has a surface area of 20 square meters. The living area at the ground floor, which includes a living open space, a kitchen and a dining table, is provided with large windows framing the view directly on the lake.
The cor-ten steel staircase connecting the two levels. In the foreground the calendered glass parapet
Upstairs, the bed is facing the bathroom wall, the only new masonry of the interiors which as been covered with a custom wallpaper that reproduces an ancient nautical chart of Garda lake.
Upstairs, the bed is facing the bathroom wall, the only new masonry of the interiors which as been covered with a custom wallpaper that reproduces an ancient nautical chart of Garda lake.
The upper level consists of bedroom and bathroom. The custom cabinet that follows the shape of the walls of the tower is in walnut
At the top of the tower, the terrace overlooks the landscape; on the right, Punta San Vigilio
Project credits: Architects: studio aledolci&co.
Architect on site: Martina Zenti
Realization: a working team of craftsmen and companies.
Photography: arch. Martina Mambrin