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Villa E

The Perfect Lakeside Home

bergmeisterwolf

Villa E
By Francesco Pagliari -

The wooded mountains, sky and lake at Cannobio on the western Piedmont banks of Lake Maggiore – shared also by Lombardy and the Swiss canton of Ticino – are much more than the mere geographical context of Villa E. They are at the very core of bergmeisterwolf’s design. Everything about the villa harks back to its setting and to the ever-changing aspects the landscape presents with the changing light: luminous clarity in full sunlight, or the indistinct blending of lake and sky on cloudy days. Here, the parts that make up the physical entity of the building are not just architectural elements – volume, materials, textures, luminescent transparencies, views, living spaces, and interiors that flow into the landscape. They speak of the construction’s extraordinary natural setting.

Sitting on a steep slope that tumbles down to the lake’s edge, the building lies on an approximately south-north axis parallel to the lake. Designed for a family of three, every aspect of this strikingly solid, stark “crystalized” parallelepiped embraces the changeable natural world outside. The glazed north and east elevations take full advantage of the splendid views. Hovering over the ground, occupants have the feeling of being truly immersed in an enchanted landscape, the lake below seeming within touching distance. In contrast, the hill-side elevation is practically windowless. Underneath the protective overhang, an outdoor area paved with smoothed slabs leads to an infinity pool lying parallel to the villa and looking out towards the lake and hills on the opposite bank. The pool also melds into its setting, the water taking on the same changeable luminance as the natural lake below. The imposing V-shaped pillar supporting the cantilevered volume is a starkly contrasting element, standing out not only for its size and shape but also for its dark color against the off-white concrete walls. The only other section of the house in...

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© Maggioli SpA • THE PLAN • Via del Pratello 8 • 40122 Bologna, Italy • T +39 051 227634 • P. IVA 02066400405 • ISSN 2499-6602 • E-ISSN 2385-2054