INDIA DESIGN ID 2024: FEB 7-12, 2024, NSIC GROUNDS, OKHLA, NEW DELHI
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INDIA DESIGN ID 2024 | 15-18 FEB, 2024 | NSIC GROUNDS, OKHLA, NEW DELHI

Home > Casa del Prato by Michele De Lucchi’s AMDL CIRCLE

Casa del Prato by Michele De Lucchi’s AMDL CIRCLE

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Fact file
Location: Italy
Size: 465 sq m – 930 sq m
Principal Architect: Michele de Lucchi
Photography by: Max Rommel

 

Le Case del Prato (which translates as “Homes in the Pastures”) are two wooden compositions conceived as an addition to the luxurious Zirmerhof Hotel, Redagno di Sopra, situated in the verdant mountains of South Tyrol. More than architectural forms, they are a product of AMDL Circle‘s holistic approach, where the sensibilities associated with each discipline (architecture, interiors, and product design) are merged from the beginning of the creative process. The two structures were built with salvaged timber from the Vaia storm of October 2018, which destroyed 14 million trees and damaged the woodland surrounding the Zirmerhof Hotel. The project transformed this felled timber into a timeless installation of art and architecture. The salvaged pinewood has been used for beams and load-bearing walls, while formwork, cladding, and internal walls and floors were realised with salvaged larchwood. Wood is, naturally, the defining element of the design, chosen for its ability to transform gracefully over time while maintaining synergy with the rhythms of nature. The curved lines of the roofs evoke the form of traditional barns. Clad with larchwood shingles, they recapture an ancient construction technique still used in certain parts of the Dolomites, enabling the cladding of rounded surfaces.

Conceived as sculptural volumes, the houses are positioned on sloping pastures and repose in an environment of peace and tranquility. Each detail is designed to be in harmony with the nature, history, and sensibilities of Zirmerhof. The first is circular structure accommodating two suites located on different levels; the second is linear and houses four apartments on two levels with a convivial double-height area in the center. Both structures are completed by panoramic terraces on the top floor and by the arches of the continuous portico on the ground level. The square doors and windows are inspired by the traditional windows of mountain houses. The scenographic interiors are designed by Produzione Privata, a company founded by Michele De Lucchi to design and produce experimental objects while supporting local artisans. Referencing the traditional furniture of the farmstead, several interior pieces in the Case del Prato have been crafted in walnut and are characterised by elements typical of local décor. From the interlacing of the trussed ceiling that reflects the rhythm of the wall and floors to the choice of finishes and furnishings, everything was conceived to induce comfort and relaxation. The colour palette and the textures of wood and fabric communicate an aura of warmth and homeliness. Windows frame the landscape, inviting the residents to lose themselves in their idyllic surroundings.

Read Michele De Lucchi‘s beautifully illustrated thoughts on the Vaia storm, its significance, and the inception of Le Case del Prato below:

I felt personally struck by the fury of storm Vaia as my artwork, “Dentro Fuori,” in Arte Sella Park was actually split in two by a fallen tree on that night. I remember the shock I felt when I saw that picture of destruction. Then, talking with my friends in Arte Sella, we understood that that tragedy gave us the opportunity to amplify the message of storm Vaia and rework it through art and architecture. With these thoughts in mind, the art installation “Radici al vento” (Exposed Roots) was born and inserted in the arboretum of Padova’s botanical gardens. With the same spirit, I welcomed the idea of building the two Case del Prato using the timber felled by the storm. The wounds produced by storm Vaia are still visible when you look around Zirmerhof and you see the empty patches of woodland.

We still find it hard to believe how violent the wind of Vaia was and how it could fall and carry away so many trees. Yet the message that Vaia left us is quite clear. It is a message that comes from a tale of climate change, and that shows us how nature is rebelling against our inconsiderate actions against those anthropogenic changes that are far from natural. Studies indicate that storm Vaia was generated from the overheating of the Adriatic Sea. The heat vortex rising from the sea released forces on the ground that spread from the valleys to the forests of the Dolomites, with winds coming from directions never before witnessed. One of the possible explanations for the devastating effects of Vaia is that the trees were probably not accustomed to resisting a wind coming from a new direction. Had the wind come from the direction it normally does, the trees would have survived the violence of the storm. This thought is quite shocking. The fact that global warming is capable of generating an air circulation that is unknown in the natural course of events. 

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