Sirmione is defined by many as the “Pearl of lake Garda”: it’s a thirteenth-century village that exudes history and beauty from every nook and cranny. The famous Scaligero castle, the Catullo spas and the small beaches – that overlook the lake from the dock – turn the village into a much-loved resort for tourists from Italy and beyond.
Today’s project is precisely in this small town and results from meticulous renovation work performed by the architects of Studio Ava based in Desenzano del Garda (Brescia), partnered with StageIt, a company from the same area specialised in interior design.
Join, separate, create a heart: defining the project
The client’s wish – shared by architects Virgillito and Avanzi – was to do away with the original 50s floor plan of the house with its typical, single rooms with a central corridor, in favour of just one open space.
Nevertheless, living requirements called for a little more differentiation and the division – albeit partial – of spaces: this necessity resulted in the need for a way to separate the entrance hall from the reception room.
How could this be done? Using a structural element that is also a design feature. This is where inspiration stepped in: ancient and traditional, perhaps to preserve some of the house’s 50s soul.
The two areas were separated by a firebox, the hub of the home, around which the entirety of domestic life revolves.
Ecomonoblocco EM78 Bifacciale Palazzetti is enclosed in a plasterboard housing with two roles, one aesthetic and one functional one: it frames the fireplace and conceals a structural column as well.
Everything about this element is double-fronted: the firebox, whose fire can be simultaneously seen from the living room, from the kitchen and from the entrance hall, and the firewood that is clearly visible behind a grating.
A project that comes from tradition but brings a wave of modernity to the home, thanks to its design that brings together contemporary and modern styles.