Giovanni is a minimal home located in Uitikon, Switzerland, designed by Marazzi Reinhardt. The key feature of a palazzo is the piano nobile. Due to its location on the upper floor, it looks elegant and sublime and at the same time offers sufficient privacy. The differentiation of the proportions, such as the higher windows, indicate the representative use. The structure of the building takes up traditional typological elements, which are translated into a contemporary language: the cornices made of in-situ concrete vary in height and width depending on the degree of representation.
The ribbons stretch out on the canopy and terrace and give the simple geometry of the building additional substance and a sculptural presence. The cornices are supported by prefabricated concrete pillars. Capitals in the area of the Piano Nobile indicate its importance. Another feature of a palazzo is the selective use of resources: representative rooms are refined, subordinate rooms, on the other hand, are furnished with restraint. This approach was also followed due to the limited budget.
The visitors are received in the well-proportioned entrance area. An inviting spiral staircase leads to the Piano Nobile. Above the stairs is the hallway with library, from which the over-high living rooms are accessed. The outside space extends as a layer in front of the living spaces and interlocks with them. The private and ancillary rooms are arranged on the north side of the building. Despite their modesty, they also have spatial quality: the building can be walked through completely along the free facade, which creates a generous appearance and allows flexible use.
The materialization reacts to the use. The private rooms are furnished with simple materials such as linoleum and painted parapet cladding. The parapets of the representative rooms are clad with oak, the floors with Roman travertine. The client selected it himself in the quarry and imported it into Switzerland.
Photography by Ladina Bischof