GEZA Architettura has designed de renovation of the DLN Penthouse, an urban attic located in a historic building, that was built in the 1930s, in the city center of Udine, Italy.

Udine is the capital of the homonymous comune in the north-eastern Italy in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. It houses an important cultural heritage as a testimony to a complex history. Numerous villas, towers, abbeys and castles are located in the territory of Udine, with the Udine Castle in the center of the city, which has spectacular views from the renovated penthouse.
The fundamental concept on which GEZA Architettura was based for the penthouse renovation design was the open space. To reflect this concept, they created an evident architectural sign called the "mobile scenario".

This "mobile scenario" is a monolith covered in Verde Alpi marble created to separate the living room and the rest area, acting the precious material as, according to the architects, "a great scenographic backdrop".
 

Project description by GEZA Architettura

Located on the top floor of a historic building built in the 1930s by the architect Ettore Gilberti, the apartment is in a privileged position in relation to the urban landscape and surrounding buildings, enjoying panoramic views of the castle of Udine and the roofs of the city.

The building, built in Liberty style, is constituted by three floors with a superior attic and is L-shaped with a rounded corner and an internal courtyard.

The peculiar aspect of the attic that made the clients (a dynamic couple who enjoy the culinary and musical world and the keen interest in the world of modern architecture and design) fall in love with it, were the glimpses of the sky visible from the numerous skylights that pierce the pre-existing wooden roof and the windows along the perimeter walls that allow each to see a different glimpse of the city. The result obtained from these numerous openings is a large amount of natural light that pervades the entire open space.

The spatial distribution of the intervention fully reflects the concept of open space desired by the customers.

Once through the entrance, a Verde Alpi marble monolith separates the living area from the sleeping space. Moving towards the living room, the view opens onto a large bright space, equipped with a so called “mobile service” on the bottom of the room that contains the kitchen  and equipped compartments, a large kitchen island to encourage conviviality with guests, and a large modular sofa with adjacent fireplace.

The most obvious architectural sign is the so called “mobile scenario” covered in Verde Alpi marble, which separates the sleeping area from the living area. The monolithic shape of this element hides the nature of this object, to let emerge the preciousness of the material that acts as a great scenographic backdrop. Its interior hides equipped spaces, with flush doors without handles, which make it possible to obtain a smooth and homogeneous surface on the outside.

In the living area a winter garden has been created, located at the end of the attic, which communicates with the living room through a large floor-to-ceiling window. This private Eden is immersed in greenery and perfectly soundproofed, to allow free music reproduction.

The resulting portion of the attic is occupied by the sleeping area, consisting of guest bathroom, laundry and guest room. The master bedroom is directly accessible from the living area and is served by a large bathroom with an oval bath and shower with Turkish bath.

To provide for the lack of an external space, a roof terrace was built to enjoy the 360° views of the city, which can be accessed by means of an iron staircase set on the “mobile scenario” at the entrance.

DLN Penthouse is the result of a careful search for essentiality and functionality, which are found in the spatial organization of the premises, in the clean design of custom-made furnishings, in the reduced choice of colors (the green of marble and plants, gray anthracite of the floor and the widespread white of the walls, the roof and the furniture placed against the perimeter). The minimal environment is “heated” by the diffused natural light and the colorful views of the city.

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Ubicado en el último piso de un edificio histórico construido en la década de 1930 por el arquitecto Ettore Gilberti, el apartamento se encuentra en una posición privilegiada en relación con el paisaje urbano y los edificios circundantes, con vistas panorámicas del castillo de Udine y los tejados de la ciudad.

El edificio, construido en estilo Liberty, está constituido por tres pisos con un ático superior y tiene forma de L con una esquina redondeada y un patio interno.

El aspecto peculiar del ático que hizo que los clientes se enamoraran, una pareja dinámica que ama el mundo culinario y musical y el gran interés en el mundo de la arquitectura y el diseño moderno, fueron los destellos del cielo visibles desde los numerosos tragaluces que atraviesan el techo de madera preexistente y las ventanas a lo largo de los muros perimetrales que permiten a cada uno vislumbrar un panorama diferente del paisaje de la ciudad. El resultado obtenido por estas numerosas aberturas es una gran cantidad de luz natural que impregna todo el espacio abierto.

La distribución espacial de la intervención refleja plenamente el concepto de espacio abierto deseado por los clientes.

Una vez a pasada la entrada, un monolito de mármol Verde Alpi separa la sala de estar de al zona de descanso. Moviéndose hacia la sala de estar, la vista se abre a un gran espacio brillante, equipado con un llamado "escenario móvil" en la parte inferior de la habitación que contiene la cocina y las habitaciones equipadas, una gran isla de cocina para fomentar la convivencia con los invitados y un gran sofá modular con chimenea de leña adyacente.

El signo arquitectónico más evidente lo da el "mobile scenario" cubierto de mármol Verde Alpi, que separa el área de descanso de la sala de estar. La forma monolítica de este elemento oculta la naturaleza de este objeto, para dejar emerger la preciosidad del material que actúa como un gran telón de fondo escenográfico. Su interior esconde espacios compartimentos equipados, con puertas a ras sin tiradores, que permiten obtener una superficie lisa y homogénea en el exterior.

En la sala de estar se ha creado un jardín de invierno, ubicado al final del ático, que se comunica con la sala de estar a través de una gran ventana de suelo a techo. Este Edén privado está inmerso en vegetación y perfectamente insonorizado, para permitir la libre reproducción de música.

La parte resultante del ático está ocupada por el área para dormir, que consta de un baño de visitas, lavandería y dormitorio de invitados. El dormitorio principal es directamente accesible desde la sala de estar y cuenta con un amplio baño con bañera ovalada y ducha con baño turco.

Para compensar la falta de un espacio externo, se creó una terraza en la azotea para disfrutar de la vista de 360 ​​° de la ciudad, a la que se accede mediante una escalera de hierro ubicada en el "mobile scenario" en la entrada.

DLN Penthouse es el resultado de una cuidadosa búsqueda de la esencialidad y funcionalidad, que se encuentran en la organización espacial de las instalaciones, en el diseño limpio de muebles a medida, en la elección reducida de colores (el verde del mármol y las plantas, gris antracita del suelo y el blanco difuso de las paredes, el techo y los muebles colocados entorno al perímetro). El ambiente minimalista se "calienta" por la luz natural difusa y las coloridas vistas de la ciudad.

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Architects
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GEZA Architettura. Lead architects.- Stefano Gri and Piero Zucchi.
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Project team
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Project manager.- Elisa Mansutti.
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Collaborators
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Structural design.- Ing. Alessandro Nutta. Mechanical plants design.- Tecno-i Studio Energy Solution. Electrical plants design.- Studio Tecnico Venica Marco. Acoustic comfort advice.- Arch. Caputo Vincenza. Furniture/boiseries/finishings.- Vecchiutti srl, NC Marmi di Cescutti Edi srl and Colledani.
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Builder
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Impresa Costruzioni Del Bianco srl
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Area
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Area of intervention.- 240 sqm. Altana.- 16 sqm.
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Dates
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Design phase.- 2016. Costruction.- 2018.
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Photography
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GEZA is based in Udine (Italy) and it works in partnership with MTD - Marc Thorpe Design (New York) and CFK Architetti (Venezia). Stefano Gri and Piero Zucchi founded the practice Geza - Gri e Zucchi Architetti Associati in Udine in 1999. The most important projects completed recently are Furla Headquarters (Furla Progetto Italia, 2021), Pratic (Pratic 1.0, 2011 + Pratic 2.0, 2018), Faber Cylinders (2013) and Bosch/Freud (2018). Furthermore, another mention must be done for the award-winning project Silk-Faw EV (2021) and Capua1880 Headquarters (2021). In addition to the residential and housing projects, GEZA designed the setting-up of the New Craft Exhibition (2016, Fabbrica del Vapore, Triennale di Milano) and Casa della Musica (2010, Cervignano del Friuli).

Amongst the multiple international awards, GEZA won the American Architecture Prize (2019), Pratic Headquarters and Production Complex (2011, Fagagna - Udine) and House of music (2010, Cervignano del Friuli - Udine). In 2015, GEZA was awarded Architetto Italiano 2015 (Special Jury Award) announced by the Italian Council of Architects. In 2012, Pratic Headquarters and Production Complex won the private client category, announced by the Triennale of Milan. The same project was presented at the XIII Biennale of Architecture of Venice in the Padiglione Italia “Made in Italy”.

Stefano Gri (born in Udine in 1963) graduated as an Architect at IUAV, Venice, in 1988 and has been registered in the Roll of Architects of Udine (Italy) since 1990. After several vocational experiences in Italy, he moved to Barcelona, Spain to work with the practice of architects Tonet Sunyer + Jordi Badia in 1992. Since 2009 teaches Architectural Design at the University of Trieste.

Piero Zucchi (born in Udine in 1965) graduated as an Architect at IUAV, Venice, in 1992. He then studied at ETSA in Seville, Spain and attended a Masterclass with Rem Koolhaas at BIA in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, in 1994. He has been registered in the Roll of Architects of Udine (Italy) since 1993. He worked with Studio Valle Architetti Associati in Udine from 1993 to 1998. Since 2009 teaches Architectural Design at the University of Trieste.



 
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Published on: May 27, 2020
Cite: "The strength of Verde Alpi marble. DLN Penthouse by GEZA Architettura" METALOCUS. Accessed
<http://www.metalocus.es/en/news/strength-verde-alpi-marble-dln-penthouse-geza-architettura> ISSN 1139-6415
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