KARTELL: An unusual dwelling in a rock town
Dec 27, 2017
The Italian studio LOMO, under the direction of talented architects Maria Rosaria Mongelli and Antonio Giulio Loforese, realised an unusual project in the Italian town of Sassi di Matera.
Located in the eastern Italian region of Basilicata, the town is world famous for its historical districts: it is the site of the Sassi cave houses, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The small Italian town is still little visited by leisure tourists but is a favourite with archaeologists and ethnographers. The first cave-dwellers appeared here around the 7th millennium B.C. and occupied what is now considered the oldest part of Matera in the Civita area. Rock construction peaked in the 9th century AD, when the most complex system of cistern waterworks was also created.
Dwellings were chiselled right into the soft tufa slopes, creating an unimaginable jumble of crooked lanes and steep staircases. «The houses» on the slopes were placed directly above each other – so that the inhabitants of the upper houses set up their vegetable gardens directly on the roofs of their neighbours. These old quarters, fortunately or unfortunately, cannot be rebuilt: their crooked staircase streets remain exactly as they were centuries ago.
Since 1993 (when the ancient cave houses were recognised as a treasure of humanity and placed under UNESCO protection), interest in the unusual town has been awakened. Most of Sassi is categorically uninhabitable, but individual "caves of improved layout" are nevertheless to be restored. The wealthy Italians are buying them up and refurbishing them to meet modern needs.
One such project is featured in this articl The Italian studio LOMO realised an extremely daring project, taking as its starting material a house made entirely of tufa that was in a state of degradation and in danger of collapse. The result of an intricate reconstruction is this project, where history and modernity meet and interact in surprising harmony.
The author's idea was to retain the basic material symbols of the original architecture, which, through architectural tricks, managed to impart a new level of functionality and comfort.
The project is designed in Lomo's favourite style – minimalism. The tufa surfaces benefit from being combined with modern materials – such as porcelain stoneware for flooring and interior finishes.
The space with the tiny balcony is used as a living room. The furniture is contrasting and simple: you may recognise the chairs from the Italian factory Kartell. With just a hint of colour and clean silhouettes, Lomo creates a weightless effect and accentuates the antique elements.
Kartell Ghost chairs in transparent plastic seem to dissolve into the interior, bringing the original rough textures to the fore.
Today we can hardly imagine how people existed here in conditions unsuitable even for domestic animals. There were no toilets, electricity was not supplied to Sassi until the 1930s, and in an area of no more than 40 square metres there were on average 10 human souls who slept on a single bed at night.
The renovated cave, on the other hand, has all the amenities you need: not only does it have normal plumbing and electricity, but it even has an equipped kitchen and a modern bathroom. The sink with a Carrara marble worktop is also exclusively designed by the studio.
The slender spiral staircase is custom-made of wrought iron and leads up to the first floor, where there is a small bedroom, bathroom and mezzanine with a magnificent view. According to everyone who has ever visited Sassi di Matera, it is this mesmerising view that will melt the hearts of even the unsentimental, who will remain forever impressed by the ascetic and simple soul of the area.
P.S. New Studio is a representative of the Italian brand Kartell in Belarus. You can find the project's chairs Kartell Ghost and Kartell Masters in the showroom at Nemiga, 12 in Minsk - and only now with Christmas discount!