Lomellina, a stilt house in Turin
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Lomellina, a stilt house in Turin

Located on a corner lot, this residential development was inspired by the deconstructivist architecture of the US West Coast

Filippo Orlando|+Studio Architetti | Mediapolis Engineering

Lomellina, a stilt house in Turin
By Editorial Staff -

The residential development at the intersection of Via Lomellina and Via Tonello, Turin, was conceived as a stilt house, with a semi-transparent base covered with wooden slats. The building, which occupies a corner lot between the two streets, has apartments of different sizes as well as large spaces for social interaction, including a garden and a multipurpose room. The street frontages are characterized by an interplay of solids and voids, and a corner terrace on two levels. Internally, the elevations have continuous balconies and face onto a courtyard. The project, the work of +studio architects and Mediapolis Engineering, brings the deconstructivist style typical of cities like San Francisco to Turin, but without forgoing references to its local urban context.

>>> Discover Bernini2, another residential project by +studio architects and Mediapolis Engineering in Turin

 

A touch of San Francisco in Via Lomellina, Turin

Lomellina, una casa su palafitta a Torino © Fabio Oggero, courtesy of +Studio Architetti | Filippo Orlando

Near the Hills of Turin, in the Madonna del Pilone district and behind the Fausto Coppi Motovelodrome sports center, stands a residential development inspired by the deconstructivist architecture of the US West Coast. The building, located on the corner of Via Lomellina and Via Tonello, rests atop a light, semi-transparent base, a reference to stilt houses, while also reinterpreting the piloti designs of the surrounding 1950s buildings. The project, the work of Filippo Orlando’s +studio architetti and Mediapolis Engineering, breathes new life into its urban setting with a touch of San Francisco, an unusual architectural language for the Piedmont capital.

 

Staggered floors and an interplay of solids and voids

Lomellina, una casa su palafitta a Torino © Fabio Oggero, courtesy of +Studio Architetti | Filippo Orlando

The volume, which follows the slope of the site to create a game of staggered floors, has four aboveground levels. It comprises 17 apartments of different sizes and two pre-existing underground levels used for parking. Exposed concrete, steel, untreated timber slats, and glass alternate on the walls, while the building is crowned by a pitched roof with dormer windows.

The internal and street elevations were designed with two different objectives in mind. The street façades, facing north and west, are punctuated vertically by different elements and are characterized by staggered openings, and alternating solids and voids. The entrance is from the corner of the building, where the large windows of the lobby mark a clean cut into the timber slat base. Like the exterior, the atrium has a pronounced materiality, created by exposed concrete walls, the staircase with cast-in-place steps, and microperforated brass-plated sheet metal balusters. Via a series of oculi, this space offers views of the common areas and the internal garden.

 

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Common areas and a sense of community

Lomellina, una casa su palafitta a Torino © Fabio Oggero, courtesy of +Studio Architetti | Filippo Orlando

The building is hollowed out above the entrance by a large terrace on two levels, the walls of which are fully finished with wood, a material that represents the leitmotif of the entire project and is also used for the windows. The void of the corner terrace is balanced by cantilevered volumes on either side, which in turn interact with the neighboring buildings through balconies with metal railings and the use of porcelain stoneware in shades of purple red. Facing south and east, the façades overlooking the courtyard are punctuated by large, continuous balconies with a uniform texture created by galvanized steel and concrete slabs. Conceived as an extension of the internal space, the balconies offer views of the green Hills of Turin and the internal courtyard, which has a garden, seats, and a children’s play area. Common areas include a 1076 square foot (100 m2) multipurpose space, which can be used for anything from condominium meetings to birthday parties. By means of these large common spaces, aimed at encouraging interaction between occupiers, the project suggests a new way of living, based on social interaction and building a sense of community.

 

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Credits

Location: Torino
Client: Società Immobiliare Rocca
Gross Floor Area: 2.000 m2
Architect: +Studio Architetti | Filippo Orlando with Mediapolis Engineering
Main Contractor: Edilcem

External Flooring: Ceramiche Keope

Photography: © Fabio Oggero
All images courtesy of +Studio Architetti | Filippo Orlando

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