Renovation of a mansion in Catania between tradition and modernity

In Catania ACA studio (Amore Campione Architettura) has designed the renovation of a mansion dating back to 1800, arranged on three floors, for a total surface of 300 square meters. The result is a contemporary home, built with the utmost respect for the local architecture, in a perfect balance between tradition and modernity.

The design's intent was to respect the existing building combining it with a strong search for the overall architectural image, as says ACA architect Sebastiano Amore: “many elements of local Sicilian tradition come into play, a few colors and materials are used, and there are many points of contact between old and new. The result is a design mix of forms and colors that dialogue with the historic context and the environment”. In this way, the resin flooring and the original cement tiles intersect, marking the spaces and functions of the different parts of the house.

The single-family home is on three levels: a garage has been created on the street level, the living and dining area is on the mezzanine floor, the private living area extends on the first floor and the sleeping area on the second. The creation of the garage involved a total demolition of part of the curtain wall and a reconstruction of all the floors in Xlam, while the area next door retained its identity with the existing load-bearing vaults. The project is visible from the big window on the street showing the course of floors.

The materials used are natural and warm, contrasting with oxidised iron and Corten; even the big staircase that leads to the sleeping area, where the three bedrooms are, becomes furniture. The large window bordering the street is screened by a curtain of natural vegetation for privacy.

In this renovation project, Valcucine is protagonist with Artematica (design by Gabriele Centazzo), a design kitchen that expresses very neat lines without neglecting the functional aspect.

The composition is defined by pure volumes in an elegant combination of materials that communicate with each other, in line with the principle of the harmony of differences that has always inspired Valcucine.

To further enhance ergonomics, the kitchen is fitted with the Air Logica, the accessorised back panel with its sliding door that enables the use of deeper base units. With a simple gesture, the door glides noiselessly upwards, revealing an integrated cooker hood and a light panel at the back which increases visibility on the worktop and conveys a wonderful feeling of roomy lightness to the entire food preparation area.

The concept of lightness is expressed also through the minimal structure of the glass door – here proposed in the gloss Cloud White shade – that seems to float in the air.

The use of Air Logica Special Element grants identity to the project and, thanks to the impressive functionality, makes the kitchen experience extraordinary.

The composition is completed by Wood Slate Tactile Oak tower units that immediately create a more intimate and cosy atmosphere, by evoking ancestral sensations associated with the textured materiality.

Also for the kitchen, conclude the architects, the language used is that of sophisticated, elegant architecture in a perfect balance of volumes, lights and colours, in harmony with the elegant and refined atmosphere that characterizes all the rooms of the house.

^{Photo credit: ACA}