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FLEXFORM | PAPER
FLEXFORM | PAPER
Il valore della quiete. Il cemento armato a vista supera la sua funzione pratica, trasformandosi in
un mezzo espressivo che esalta la dimensione privata, come nell’angolo camino con la poltrona
Thomas di Antonio Citterio. | The luxury of quietude. Exposed reinforced concrete transcends its
practical nature, becoming an expressive medium that elevates the private dimension of the home,
as in the fireplace corner, furnished with the Thomas armchair by Antonio Citterio.
La fusione tra stile industriale e una palette
neutra CREA UN EQUILIBRIO ARMONIOSO,
sincronizzato con il ritmo naturale delle giornate
trascorse in famiglia
The fusion of industrial style and a neutral
palette CREATES HARMONY AND BALANCE,
synchronized with the natural rhythm of family life
A
domesticated natural
landscape, a terrain
whose colors blend into
the hues of the Lom-
bardy sky, and occa-
sionally the sky fades
into such an intangible
grey that it blurs the horizon and the road.
But not in every season. Here, colors change
like the pages on a calendar and are never
as neutral as some might think. In fact, the
grey factor is a phenomenon that shrouds
the Po Valley in a veil of mystery. Because
this seemingly modest neutral shade is ac-
tually a world of subtle, infinite nuances
concealed between two extremes: black and
white. A tension that seems to characterize
this single-family home designed by ar-
chitect Marco Ortalli, where the material
brushstroke of concrete plays the leading
role along with the Brughiera Briantea
Park, an area of great natural interest a few
kilometers north of Milan. Here, raw con-
crete becomes the true voice of the project,
an instrument that narrates the story of the
structure, rising above momentary trends.
It is a tangible sign of the inexorable con-
nection between technique and aesthetics,
creative exploration and the final image,
an experimental quest that arises from the
passion to capture the raw, genuine beau-
ty of this material, transforming it into a
powerful statement. Add to this the horizon-
tal lines of the construction, punctuated by
large carefully orchestrated openings and
the home’s east-west orientation that allows
optimal natural lighting and a panoramic
view of the outdoors, and it becomes clear
that the sense of coziness is concealed in the
simplicity of the features.
Thanks to the exposed reinforced con-
crete that is elevated from a construction
material to a means of expression in the
common areas – like the large open living
room, kitchen, dining area and study –
where even the honed flooring forms a ho-
mogenous whole with the walls.
Clad in chestnut slats, the subtle slope of
the porch ceiling adds warmth, softening
the industrial edge of the setting.
Natural light pours in through the large
living room window, bringing with it the
seasonally changing panorama of the sur-
rounding moorlands, offering new views
to the attentive observer. The architect’s
orchestrated interplay of smaller open-
ings that face the street insulates the home
from noise and prying eyes, while those
facing the garden are wide open, allowing
the gaze to roam clear to the horizon. The
space is carefully calibrated, designed to
synchronize with the rhythm of the family’s
daily routines. On one side, the living and
kitchen areas, and on the other, the private
quarters, including bedrooms, bathrooms,
and laundry room. These two distinct zones
speak different design languages, most no-
tably in the whispered intimacy of the sleep-
ing spaces crafted for maximum comfort.
Here, the design is tempered by the use of
plaster on the walls, by the chestnut parquet
- this time on the floors (in contrast to the
living room where it is on the ceiling) - and
by the lowered ceilings, ingredients so well
integrated as to further reinforce the feel-
ing of intimacy infused into this space. Two
interior worlds converge toward a single
purpose – to create a serene environment,
tailored to suit the needs of a young couple
and their baby daughter that have elected
to live far from the fast pace of urban life. A
home that is also a lifestyle project and the
surrounding landscape an ally in the crea-
tion of this haven of coziness.
